Lead Definition

lēd
leading, leads, led
verb
leading, leads, led
To show the way by going before or along; act as guide.
Webster's New World
To show the way to, or direct the course of, by going before or along with; conduct; guide.
Webster's New World
To be led; submit to being led.
Webster's New World
To show (the way) in this manner.
Webster's New World
To mark the way for.
Lights to lead you there.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
noun
leads
First or front place; precedence.
The horse in the lead.
Webster's New World
The amount or distance that one is ahead.
To hold a safe lead.
Webster's New World
The initiative.
Took the lead in setting the pace of the project.
American Heritage
The part of director or leader; leadership.
To take the lead in a project.
Webster's New World
The margin by which one holds a position of advantage or superiority.
Held a lead of nine points at the half.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
adjective
Acting as leader or being the leader.
The lead horse, the lead runner in a race.
Webster's New World
First or foremost.
The lead leg on a surfboard.
American Heritage
Made of or containing lead.
Webster's New World
Most important.
The lead author of a research paper.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
idiom
lead the way
  • To show a course or route by going in advance.
  • To be foremost in an endeavor or trend:

    The firm led the way in the application of new technology.

American Heritage
lead up to
  • To result in by a series of steps:

    events leading up to the coup.

  • To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks.
American Heritage
get the lead out
  • To start moving or move more rapidly.
American Heritage
lead off
  • to begin; start
Webster's New World
lead on
  • to conduct further
  • to lure or tempt
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Lead

Noun

Singular:
lead
Plural:
leads

Origin of Lead

  • From Middle English leed, from Old English lÄ“ad (“lead"), from Proto-Germanic *laudÄ… (“lead"), from Proto-Indo-European *lAudh- (“lead"). Cognate with Scots leid, lede (“lead"), North Frisian lud, luad (“lead"), West Frisian lead (“lead"), Dutch lood (“lead"), German Lot (“solder, plummet, sounding line"), Swedish lod (“lead"), Icelandic lóð (“a plumb, weight"), Irish luaidhe (“lead"), Lithuanian liudÄ“ (“plumb, plummet, plumbline").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English leden, from Old English lÇ£dan (“to lead"), from Proto-Germanic *laidijanÄ… (“to cause one to go, lead"), causative of Proto-Germanic *līþanÄ… (“to go"), from Proto-Indo-European *leit-, *leith- (“to leave, die"). Cognate with West Frisian liede (“to lead"), Dutch leiden (“to lead"), German leiten (“to lead"), Danish lede (“to lead"), Swedish leda (“to lead"). Related to Old English līþan (“to go, travel").

    From Wiktionary

  • Alternative etymology suggests the possibility that Proto-Germanic *laudan may derive from Proto-Celtic *loudhom, from an assumed Proto-Italo-Celtic *ploudhom, from Proto-Indo-European *plou(d)- (“to flow"). If so, then cognate with Latin plumbum (“lead"). More at flow.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English leden from Old English lǣdan leit- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English led from Old English lēad probably of Celtic origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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