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verb Lead v. t. (past & past part. leaded; pres. part. leading) 1.To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle. 2.(Print.) To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter.
Lead v. t. (past & past part. led; pres. part. leading) 1.To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact or connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man. "If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in the ditch." "They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill." "In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty." 2.To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, esp. by going with or going in advance of. Hence, figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to lead a traveler; to lead a pupil. "The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way." "He leadeth me beside the still waters." "This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide." 3.To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a search; to lead a political party. "Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or possess places." 4.To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages. "As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way." "And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest." 5.To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause. "He was driven by the necessities of the times, more than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of actions." "Silly women, laden with sins, led away by divers lusts." 6.To guide or conduct one's self in, through, or along (a certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course). "That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life." "Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that leads melodious days." "You remember... the life he used to lead his wife and daughter." 7.(Cards & Dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led. To lead astray, to guide in a wrong way, or into error; to seduce from truth or rectitude. To lead captive, to carry or bring into captivity. To lead the way, to show the way by going in front; to act as guide.
Lead v. i. (past & past part. led; pres. part. leading) 1.To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preeminence; to be first or chief; used in most of the senses of lead, v. t. 2.To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices. "The mountain foot that leads towards Mantua." To lead off or To lead out, to go first; to begin; as, Mickey Mantle led off in the fifth inning of the game.
noun Leading n. 1.The act of guiding, directing, governing, or enticing; guidance. 2.Suggestion; hint; example. (Archaic)
adjective Leading adj. Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. Leading case (Law), a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved. Leading motive (Mus.), a guiding theme; in the musical drama of Wagner, a marked melodic phrase or short passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. Also called leitmotif or leitmotiv. Leading note (Mus.), the seventh note or tone in the ascending major scale; the sensible note. Leading question, a question so framed as to guide the person questioned in making his reply. Leading strings, strings by which children are supported when beginning to walk. To be in leading strings, to be in a state of infancy or dependence, or under the guidance of others. Leading wheel, a wheel situated before the driving wheels of a locomotive engine.
Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48
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