lead

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NGSL Rank: 240

lead

liːd

Meanings

verb

cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc. while moving forward.
E.g. she emerged leading a bay horse
be a route or means of access to a particular place or in a particular direction.
E.g. the door led to a long hallway
be in charge or command of.
E.g. a military delegation was led by the Chief of Staff
have the advantage over competitors in a race or game.
E.g. he followed up with a break of 105 to lead 3-0
have or experience (a particular way of life).
E.g. she's led a completely sheltered life

noun

the initiative in an action; an example for others to follow.
E.g. Britain is now taking the lead in environmental policies
a position of advantage in a contest; first place.
E.g. the team burst into life and took the lead
the chief part in a play or film.
E.g. she had the lead in a new film
a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other domestic animal.
E.g. the dog is our constant walking companion and is always kept on a lead
a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance, or that connects two points of a circuit together.
the distance advanced by a screw in one turn.
an artificial watercourse leading to a mill.

noun

a soft, heavy, ductile bluish-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 82. It has been used in roofing, plumbing, ammunition, storage batteries, radiation shields, etc., and its compounds have been used in crystal glass, as an anti-knock agent in petrol, and (formerly) in paints.
an item or implement made of lead.
graphite used as the part of a pencil that makes a mark.
E.g. scrawls done with a bit of pencil lead
a blank space between lines of print.

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