n an advantage held by a competitor in a race
he took the lead at the last turn
n a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
the children were playing with lead soldiers
n evidence pointing to a possible solution
the police are following a promising lead
n a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
he takes the lead in any group we were just waiting for someone to take the lead they didn't follow our lead
n the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
n the introductory section of a story
it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter
n (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
n an actor who plays a principal role
n (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
he took a long lead off first
n an indication of potential opportunity
a good lead for a job
n a news story of major importance
n the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
n restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
n thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
n mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
n a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads
n the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
the lead was in the dummy
v take somebody somewhere
We lead him to our chief
v have as a result or residue
v tend to or result in
This remark lead to further arguments among the guests
v travel in front of; go in advance of others
v cause to undertake a certain action
v stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
v be in charge of
v be ahead of others; be the first
v be conducive to
The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing
v lead, as in the performance of a composition; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years"
n shrub of sandy woodlands and stream banks of western United States having hoary pinnate flowers and dull-colored racemose flowers; thought to indicate the presence of lead ore