Gadit

lead

Definitions (7)
1verbTo guide, direct, or go in front so others follow.
She will lead the team through the project.
A small path leads to the lake.
Good teachers lead by example.
2verbTo cause something to happen or bring about a result.
Too much stress can lead to mistakes.
One small choice can lead to big changes.
Regular practice often leads to improvement.
3nounThe first or main position in a race, game, or competition.
Our team kept the lead until the final minute.
She took the lead early in the race.
They lost their lead in the second half.
4nounThe main role in a play, film, or show, or the person who has that role.
She got the lead in the school musical.
The lead was played by a young actor.
He dreamed of singing the lead on stage.
5nounA soft, heavy gray metal used in things like batteries, weights, and shielding.
Old pipes were sometimes made of lead.
The battery contains lead.
Lead is too toxic to handle carelessly.
6nounThe dark material inside a pencil that makes marks, even though it is actually graphite, not the metal lead.
Your pencil lead snapped again.
Press lightly so the lead does not break.
I need a darker lead for sketching.
7nounA strap, rope, or chain used to control a dog or another animal while walking it.
Please keep the dog on a lead.
He clipped the lead onto the puppy's collar.
The horse pulled against its lead.
Idioms & expressions
lead the way, To go first and show others where to go or what to do.
take the lead, To move into first place or become the main person in control.
lead someone on, To make someone believe something, especially about love or plans, when you do not really mean it.
Word Origin
Language
Old English / Germanic
Original word
lǣdan / lēad
Originally meant
one old word meant to guide or bring along; another meant the metal
Background
These are actually two different old English words that ended up with the same modern spelling. The verb comes from an old Germanic word meaning to guide or cause to go, while the metal name goes back through the Germanic family to a very old word for lead.
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