Added 6 October 2026
lead
/ˈlɛd/ noun
In Latin: plumbum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lead at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82.
- A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or to estimate velocity in knots.
- A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.
verb
verb
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To guide or conduct. To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection.
a father leads a child
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To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection.
a father leads a child
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To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, especially by going with or going in advance of; to guide somebody somewhere or to bring somebody somewhere by means of instructions.
The guide was able to lead the tourists through the jungle safely.
noun
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The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction, course
to take the lead
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Precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; the state of being ahead in a race; the highest score in an incomplete game.
the white horse had the lead.
- An insulated metallic wire for electrical devices and equipment.
Origin
From Middle English led, leed, from Old English lēad (“lead”), from Proto-West Germanic *laud (“lead”), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow”). Cognate with Scots leid, lede (“lead”), North Frisian lud, luad (“lead”), West Frisian lead (“lead”), Dutch lood (“lead”), Low German Lod (“solder, plummet”), German Lot (“solder, plummet, sounding line”), Swedish lod (“solder, plummet”), Icelandic lóð (“a plumb, weight”), Irish luaidhe (“lead”) Latin plumbum (“lead”), Finnish luoti (“bullet”). Doublet of loth. More at flow. * (graphite in a pencil): Graphite was once believed to be a form of lead; see black lead and plumbago.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)