Dictionary definition · lead
noun
- an advantage held by a competitor in a race"he took the lead at the last turn"
- 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"
- evidence pointing to a possible solution"the police are following a promising lead"
- mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
- a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase ‘take the lead’)"he takes the lead in any group"
- 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 introductory section of a story"it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter"
verb
- take somebody somewhere"we led him to our chief"
- produce as a result or residue"The water left a mark on the silk dress"
- tend to or result in"This remark led to further arguments among the guests"
- travel in front of; go in advance of others"The procession was headed by John"
- cause to undertake a certain action"Her greed led her to forge the checks"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).