lead¹ /lēd/

1. To show the way by going first
2. To precede
3. To guide by the hand
4. To direct
5. To guide
6. To conduct
7. To convey
8. To cart (dialect)
9. To induce
10. To live
11. To cause to live or experience
12. To adduce (Scots law)
13. To have a principal or guiding part or place in
14. To play as the first card of a round (cards)

1. To be first or among the first
2. To be guide or chief
3. To act or play (a card) first
4. To cart crops to the farmyard (often with in)
5. To afford a passage (to), or (figurative) tend towards
6. (of a newspaper, etc) to have as its main story, feature, etc (with with)

1. First place
2. Precedence
3. The amount by which one is ahead
4. Direction
5. Guidance
6. An indication
7. A precedent or example
8. A chief role
9. The player of a chief role
10. Leadership
11. Initiative
12. The act or right of playing first, or the play of whoever plays first
13. The first player of a side (curling, etc)
14. A leash
15. A watercourse leading to a mill
16. A channel through ice
17. The course of a running rope from end to end
18. A main conductor in electrical distribution
19. The distance between successive contours on the same helix of a screw thread measured parallel to the axis of the screw

1. Chief
2. Main
3. Leading

leadˈer noun

1. A person who leads or goes first
2. A chief
3. In an orchestra, the principal first violin
4. The head of a party, expedition, etc
5. The leading editorial article in a newspaper (also leading article)
6. The principal upward-growing shoot of a tree
7. A horse or dog in a front place in a team
8. A tendon
9. A short blank strip at the beginning and end of a film or tape
10. A translucent connection between a fishing-line and bait
11. A line of dots to guide the eye (printing)
12. The principal wheel in any machinery
13. An alternative name for a conductor (of an orchestra, etc) (US)

leadereneˈ noun

A female leader, esp a domineering one (orig applied to Margaret Thatcher when UK Prime Minister)

leaderetteˈ noun

A brief newspaper leader

leadˈerless adjective

leadˈership noun

1. The office of leader or conductor
2. Those acting as leaders of a particular organization or group
3. Ability to lead

leadˈing noun

1. Guidance
2. Spiritual guidance
3. Leadership
4. Carting (crops, etc)

1. Acting as leader
2. Directing or controlling
3. Principal
4. Preceding

leadˈerboard noun

A scoreboard that lists the names and scores of the current leaders in a sporting, esp golf, competition

leadˈer-caˈble noun

A cable on the sea-bottom by which ships with induction-receiving apparatus can find their way into port

Leader of the House of Commons or Leader of the House of Lords noun

A senior member of the government officially responsible for initiating the business of the House

leadˈ-in noun

1. The part of the groove on a record before the start of the recording, opp to lead-out (also lead-in groove)
2. The cable connecting the transmitter or receiver to the elevated part of an aerial
3. The introduction to, or introductory passage of, a commercial, discussion, newspaper article, piece of music, etc (also adjective)

leading aircraftman or leading aircraftsman, or leading aircraftwoman or leading aircraftswoman noun

The rank above aircraft(s)man or aircraft(s)woman

leading business noun (rare)

The acting of the principal parts or roles in plays

leading case noun (law)

A case serving as a precedent

leading counsel noun

Counsel who takes precedence over another in conducting a case

leading dog noun (Aust and NZ)

A sheepdog trained to control sheep by running ahead of them

leading edge noun

1. The edge first met
2. The foremost edge of an aerofoil or propeller blade
3. The rising amplitude portion of a pulse signal (telecommunications)
4. The forefront, esp in scientific or technical development (figurative)

leading lady or leading man noun

The principal actress or actor in a play

leading light noun

A very influential member

leading note noun (music)

The seventh tone of a major or minor scale, which leads the hearer to expect the tonic to follow

leading question noun

A question put in such a way as to suggest the desired answer

leading reins or leading strings plural noun (US)

1. Children's walking reins
2. Vexatious care or custody

• presidentess
• presidentesses
• presidential
• presidents
• presidentship
• presidentships
• presides
• presidia
• presidial
• presidiary
• presiding
• presiding officer
• presiding officers
• presidio
• presidios
• presidium
• presidiums
• presignification
• presignified
• presignifies
• presignify
• presignifying
• pre-sold
• press
• press agent