leadˈen adjective

1. Made of lead
2. Lead-coloured
3. Inert
4. Oppressive
5. Depressing
6. Heavy
7. Dull

To make or become leaden

leadˈenly adverb

leadˈenness noun

leadˈing noun

1. Leads collectively
2. (also lead) the strip of lead separating lines of type (printing)
3. The vertical space caused by such a strip

leadˈless adjective

leadˈy adjective

Like lead

lead acetate see sugar of lead under sugar

leadˈ-armˈing noun (nautical)

Tallow, etc placed in the hollow of a sounding-lead to ascertain the nature of the bottom of the sea, river, etc

lead colic see lead poisoning below.

leadˈen-steppˈing adjective (Milton)

Moving slowly

leadˈ-free see unleaded under un-

lead glance noun

Galena

lead glass noun

Glass containing lead oxide

leadˈ-line noun

1. A sounding-line (nautical)
2. Any of the lines on a stained glass cartoon indicating where the leads will lie in the finished work

lead monoxide noun

A bright yellow solid compound used in pigments and paints

leadˈ-paintˈ noun

Paint with red lead or white lead as its base

lead pencil noun

A blacklead pencil for writing or drawing

lead poisoning noun

1. Plumbism, poisoning by the absorption of lead into the system, its commonest form being lead colic, or painter's colic
2. Death by shooting (slang)

leadsˈman noun

A seaman who heaves the lead or plummet for sounding

lead tree noun

Saturn's tree (qv)

leadˈwort same as plumbago¹

eat lead (slang)

To be shot, be killed by shooting

go down like a lead balloon (humorous)

To be conspicuously unsuccessful

red lead and white lead see under red¹and white respectively.

swing the lead (nautical and milit sl)

To invent specious excuses to evade duties