lead

[ led ]

/ lɛd /

noun

Chemistry. a heavy, comparatively soft, malleable, bluish-gray metal, sometimes found in its natural state but usually combined as a sulfide, especially in galena. Symbol: Pb; atomic weight: 207.19; atomic number: 82; specific gravity: 11.34 at 20°C.

something made of this metal or of one of its alloys.

a plummet or mass of lead suspended by a line, as for taking soundings.

bullets collectively; shot.

black lead or graphite.

a small stick of graphite, as used in pencils.

Also leading. Printing. a thin strip of type metal or brass less than type-high, used for increasing the space between lines of type.

a grooved bar of lead or came in which sections of glass are set, as in stained-glass windows.

leads, British. a roof, especially one that is shallow or flat, covered with lead.

white lead.

verb (used with object)

to cover, line, weight, treat, or impregnate with lead or one of its compounds.

Printing. to insert leads between the lines of.

to fix (window glass) in position with leads.

adjective

made of or containing lead: a lead pipe; a lead compound.

Idioms for lead

get the lead out, Slang. to move or work faster; hurry up.

heave the lead, Nautical. to take a sounding with a lead.

go over like a lead balloon, Slang. to fail to arouse interest, enthusiasm, or support.

Origin of lead

before 900; Middle English lede, Old English lēad; cognate with Dutch lood, Old Frisian lād lead, German Lot plummet

SYNONYMS FOR lead

3 weight, plumb.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lead ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM lead

lead·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lead

lead led

Words nearby lead

leach, leachate, leaching, leachy, leacock, lead, lead a chase, lead a dog's life, lead a double life, lead acetate, lead arsenate

British Dictionary definitions for get the lead out (1 of 2)

lead ¹

/ (liːd) /

verb leads, leading or led (lɛd)

to show the way to (an individual or a group) by going with or ahead lead the party into the garden

to guide or be guided by holding, pulling, etc he led the horse by its reins

(tr) to cause to act, feel, think, or behave in a certain way; induce; influence he led me to believe that he would go

(tr) to phrase a question to (a witness) that tends to suggest the desired answer

(when intr, foll by to) (of a road, route, etc) to serve as the means of reaching a place

(tr) to go ahead so as to indicate (esp in the phrase lead the way)

to guide, control, or direct to lead an army

(tr) to direct the course of or conduct (water, a rope or wire, etc) along or as if along a channel

to initiate the action of (something); have the principal part in (something) to lead a discussion

to go at the head of or have the top position in (something) he leads his class in geography

(intr foll by with) to have as the first or principal item the newspaper led with the royal birth

music

British to play first violin in (an orchestra)
(intr) (of an instrument or voice) to be assigned an important entry in a piece of music

to direct and guide (one's partner) in a dance

(tr)

to pass or spendI lead a miserable life
to cause to pass a life of a particular kindto lead a person a dog's life

(intr foll by to) to tend (to) or result (in) this will only lead to misery

to initiate a round of cards by putting down (the first card) or to have the right to do this she led a diamond

(tr) to aim at a point in front of (a moving target) in shooting, etc, in order to allow for the time of flight

(intr) boxing to make an offensive blow, esp as one's habitual attacking punch southpaws lead with their right

lead astray to mislead so as to cause error or wrongdoing

lead by the nose See nose (def. 12)

noun

the first, foremost, or most prominent place
(as modifier)lead singer

example, precedence, or leadership the class followed the teacher's lead

an advance or advantage held over others the runner had a lead of twenty yards

anything that guides or directs; indication; clue

another name for leash

the act or prerogative of playing the first card in a round of cards or the card so played

the principal role in a play, film, etc, or the person playing such a role

the principal news story in a newspaperthe scandal was the lead in the papers
the opening paragraph of a news story
(as modifier)lead story

music an important entry assigned to one part usually at the beginning of a movement or section

a wire, cable, or other conductor for making an electrical connection

boxing

one's habitual attacking punch
a blow made with this

nautical the direction in which a rope runs

a deposit of metal or ore; lode

the firing of a gun, missile, etc, ahead of a moving target to correct for the time of flight of the projectile

Word Origin for lead

Old English lǣdan; related to līthan to travel, Old High German līdan to go

British Dictionary definitions for get the lead out (2 of 2)

lead ²

/ (lɛd) /

noun

a heavy toxic bluish-white metallic element that is highly malleable: occurs principally as galena and used in alloys, accumulators, cable sheaths, paints, and as a radiation shield. Symbol: Pb; atomic no: 82; atomic wt: 207.2; valency: 2 or 4; relative density: 11.35; melting pt: 327.502°C; boiling pt: 1750°C Related adjectives: plumbic, plumbeous, plumbous

a lead weight suspended on a line used to take soundings of the depth of water

swing the lead to malinger or make up excuses

lead weights or shot, as used in cartridges, fishing lines, etc

a thin grooved strip of lead for holding small panes of glass or pieces of stained glass

(plural)

thin sheets or strips of lead used as a roof covering
a flat or low-pitched roof covered with such sheets

printing a thin strip of type metal used for spacing between lines of hot-metal type Compare reglet (def. 2)

graphite or a mixture containing graphite, clay, etc, used for drawing
a thin stick of this material, esp the core of a pencil

(modifier) of, consisting of, relating to, or containing lead

go down like a lead balloon See balloon (def. 9)

verb (tr)

to fill or treat with lead

to surround, cover, or secure with lead or leads

printing to space (type) by use of leads

Derived forms of lead

leadless, adjective leady, adjective

Word Origin for lead

Old English; related to Dutch lood, German Lot

Scientific definitions for get the lead out

lead

[ lĕd ]

Pb

A soft, ductile, heavy, bluish-gray metallic element that is extracted chiefly from galena. It is very durable and resistant to corrosion and is a poor conductor of electricity. Lead is used to make radiation shielding and containers for corrosive substances. It was once commonly used in pipes, solder, roofing, paint, and antiknock compounds in gasoline, but its use in these products has been curtailed because of its toxicity. Atomic number 82; atomic weight 207.2; melting point 327.5°C; boiling point 1,744°C; specific gravity 11.35; valence 2, 4. See Periodic Table. See Note at element.

Idioms and Phrases with get the lead out (1 of 2)

get the lead out

Also, get the lead out of one's feet or pants. Hurry up, move faster. For example, Get the lead out of your pants, kids, or we'll be late, or, even more figuratively, Arthur is the slowest talker—he can't seem to get the lead out and make his point. This expression implies that lead, the heaviest of the base metals, is preventing one from moving. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with get the lead out (2 of 2)

lead

In addition to the idioms beginning with lead

lead a chase
lead a dog's life
lead a double life
lead by the nose
lead down the garden path
leading light
leading question
lead off
lead on
lead one to
lead the way
lead up the garden path
lead up to
lead with one's chin

also see:

all roads lead to Rome
blind leading the blind
get the lead out of
go over (like a lead balloon)
put lead in one's pencil
you can lead a horse to water

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

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