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Adjective: leadless[2]  led-lus
  1. Containing or using no lead (the metal)
    - unleaded
     
  2. (electronics) having no lead wire or connection
    "leadless chip carriers are common in modern electronics"
Verb: lead (led)  leed
  1. Accompany somebody somewhere to show them the way
    "we led him to our chief";
    - take, direct, conduct, guide
     
  2. Produce as a result or residue
    "The investigation led to several arrests";
    - leave, result
     
  3. Tend to or result in
    "This remark led to further arguments among the guests"
     
  4. Travel in front of; go in advance of others
    "The procession was led by John";
    - head
     
  5. Cause to undertake a certain action
    "Her greed led her to forge the checks"
     
  6. Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
    "Service leads all the way to Cranbury";
    - run, go, pass, extend
     
  7. Be in charge of
    "Who is leading this project?";
    - head
     
  8. Be ahead of others; be the first
    "she led her class every year";
    - top
     
  9. Have the effect of making happen, or become more likely
    "The use of computers in the classroom led to better writing";
    - contribute, conduce [archaic]
     
  10. Have the leading position, as in the performance of a composition
    "lead an orchestra";
    - conduct, direct
     
  11. Provide access; extend (in the direction of something)
    "This door leads to the basement";
    - go
     
  12. Move ahead (of others) in time or space
    "She led the pack in the marathon";
    - precede
     
  13. Cause something to lie along a particular path
    "lead the wire behind the cabinet";
    - run
     
  14. Preside over
    "John led the discussion";
    - moderate, chair
Noun: lead  leed
  1. An advantage held by a competitor in a race
    "he took the lead at the last turn"
     
  2. Evidence pointing to a possible solution
    "the police are following a promising lead";
    - track, trail
     
  3. A position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase ‘take the lead’)
    "they didn't follow our lead"; "he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just waiting for someone to take the lead"
     
  4. The angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
    "The hunter calculated the lead needed to hit the flying bird"
     
  5. The introductory section of a news story
    "it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter";
    - lead-in, lede [N. Amer]
     
  6. (sport) the score by which a team or individual is winning
    "The home team maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half"
     
  7. An actor who plays a principal role
    "She landed the lead in the Broadway production";
    - star, principal
     
  8. (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
    "he took a long lead off first"
     
  9. An indication of potential opportunity
    "a good lead for a job";
    - tip, steer, wind, hint
     
  10. A news story of major importance
    "The presidential election was the lead story on every news channel";
    - lead story
     
  11. The timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
    "Adjusting the lead improved the engine's performance";
    - spark advance
     
  12. Restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
    "The horse was secured to a post with a lead";
    - leash, tether
     
  13. A heavy electrical cable used to transfer power from one vehicle battery to another
    "He a lead to jump-start the dead battery";
    - jumper cable [N. Amer], jumper lead [N. Amer], booster cable [N. Amer], jump lead [Brit]
     
  14. The playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
    "the lead was in the dummy"

See also: lead-free, nonleaded

Type of: act, actor, advance, advantage, angle, be, boost, bring about, cause, conducting wire, constraint, counsel, counseling [US], counselling [Brit, Cdn], direct, direction, discuss, do, encourage, evidence, execute, exist, further, get, give rise, go, grounds, guidance, hash out, have, histrion [archaic], induce, jumper, leadership, leading, locomote, make, move, news article, news story, newspaper article, pass, perform, place, play, player, position, produce, promote, restraint, role player, score, section, stimulate, subdivision, talk over, thesp [Brit, informal], thespian, timing, travel, turn, vantage, wire

Antonym: deficit, follow, leaded

Part of: card game, cards, news article, news story, newspaper article

Encyclopedia: Lead, SD