Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Lead \Lead\ (l[e^]d), n. [OE. led, leed, lead, AS. le['a]d; akin
   to D. lood, MHG. l[=o]t, G. loth plummet, sounding lead,
   small weight, Sw. & Dan. lod. [root]123]
   1. (Chem.) One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic
      metal, having a bright, bluish color, but easily
      tarnished. It is both malleable and ductile, though with
      little tenacity, and is used for tubes, sheets, bullets,
      etc. Its specific gravity is 11.37. It is easily fusible,
      forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of
      solder and type metal. Atomic weight, 206.4. Symbol Pb (L.
      Plumbum). It is chiefly obtained from the mineral galena,
      lead sulphide.

   2. An article made of lead or an alloy of lead; as:
      (a) A plummet or mass of lead, used in sounding at sea.
      (b) (Print.) A thin strip of type metal, used to separate
          lines of type in printing.
      (c) Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs;
          hence, pl., a roof covered with lead sheets or terne
          plates.

                I would have the tower two stories, and goodly
                leads upon the top.               --Bacon

   3. A small cylinder of black lead or plumbago, used in
      pencils.

   {Black lead}, graphite or plumbago; -- so called from its
      leadlike appearance and streak. [Colloq.]

   {Coasting lead}, a sounding lead intermediate in weight
      between a hand lead and deep-sea lead.

   {Deep-sea lead}, the heaviest of sounding leads, used in
      water exceeding a hundred fathoms in depth. --Ham. Nav.
      Encyc.

   {Hand lead}, a small lead use for sounding in shallow water.
      

   {Krems lead}, {Kremnitz lead} [so called from Krems or
      Kremnitz, in Austria], a pure variety of white lead,
      formed into tablets, and called also {Krems, or Kremnitz,
      white}, and {Vienna white}.

   {Lead arming}, tallow put in the hollow of a sounding lead.
      See {To arm the lead} (below).

   {Lead colic}. See under {Colic}.

   {Lead color}, a deep bluish gray color, like tarnished lead.
      

   {Lead glance}. (Min.) Same as {Galena}.

   {Lead line}
      (a) (Med.) A dark line along the gums produced by a
          deposit of metallic lead, due to lead poisoning.
      (b) (Naut.) A sounding line.

   {Lead mill}, a leaden polishing wheel, used by lapidaries.

   {Lead ocher} (Min.), a massive sulphur-yellow oxide of lead.
      Same as {Massicot}.

   {Lead pencil}, a pencil of which the marking material is
      graphite (black lead).

   {Lead plant} (Bot.), a low leguminous plant, genus {Amorpha}
      ({A. canescens}), found in the Northwestern United States,
      where its presence is supposed to indicate lead ore.
      --Gray.

   {Lead tree}.
      (a) (Bot.) A West Indian name for the tropical, leguminous
          tree, {Leuc[ae]na glauca}; -- probably so called from
          the glaucous color of the foliage.
      (b) (Chem.) Lead crystallized in arborescent forms from a
          solution of some lead salt, as by suspending a strip
          of zinc in lead acetate.

   {Mock lead}, a miner's term for blende.

   {Red lead}, a scarlet, crystalline, granular powder,
      consisting of minium when pure, but commonly containing
      several of the oxides of lead. It is used as a paint or
      cement and also as an ingredient of flint glass.

   {Red lead ore} (Min.), crocoite.

   {Sugar of lead}, acetate of lead.

   {To arm the lead}, to fill the hollow in the bottom of a
      sounding lead with tallow in order to discover the nature
      of the bottom by the substances adhering. --Ham. Nav.
      Encyc.

   {To} {cast, or heave}, {the lead}, to cast the sounding lead
      for ascertaining the depth of water.

   {White lead}, hydrated carbonate of lead, obtained as a
      white, amorphous powder, and much used as an ingredient of
      white paint.

Lead \Lead\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Leaded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Leading}.]
   1. To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing
      leads the grooves of a rifle.

   2. (Print.) To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead
      a page; leaded matter.

Lead \Lead\ (l[=e]d), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Led} (l[e^]d); p. pr.
   & vb. n. {Leading}.] [OE. leden, AS. l[=ae]dan (akin to OS.
   l[=e]dian, D. leiden, G. leiten, Icel. le[imac][eth]a, Sw.
   leda, Dan. lede), properly a causative fr. AS. li[eth]an to
   go; akin to OHG. l[imac]dan, Icel. l[imac][eth]a, Goth.
   lei[thorn]an (in comp.). Cf. {Lode}, {Loath}.]
   1. To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some
      physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a
      jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind
      man.

            If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in
            the ditch.                            --Wyclif
                                                  (Matt. xv.
                                                  14.)

            They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto
            the brow of the hill.                 --Luke iv. 29.

            In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph,
            sweet Liberty.                        --Milton.

   2. To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain
      place or end, by making the way known; to show the way,
      esp. by going with or going in advance of. Hence,
      figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to
      lead a traveler; to lead a pupil.

            The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a
            cloud, to lead them the way.          --Ex. xiii.
                                                  21.

            He leadeth me beside the still waters. --Ps. xxiii.
                                                  2.

            This thought might lead me through the world's vain
            mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide.
                                                  --Milton.

   3. To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or
      charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a
      search; to lead a political party.

            Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he
            might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or
            possess places.                       --South.

   4. To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be
      foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet
      of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads
      the orators of all ages.

            As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. --Fairfax.

            And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. --Leigh
                                                  Hunt.

   5. To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to
      prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead
      one to espouse a righteous cause.

            He was driven by the necessities of the times, more
            than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of
            actions.                              --Eikon
                                                  Basilike.

            Silly women, laden with sins,led away by divers
            lusts.                                --2 Tim. iii.
                                                  6 (Rev. Ver.).

   6. To guide or conduct one's self in, through, or along (a
      certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to
      follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to
      cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course).

            That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. --1
                                                  Tim. ii. 2.

            Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that
            leads melodious days.                 --Tennyson.

            You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife
            and daughter.                         --Dickens.

   7. (Cards & Dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with;
      as, to lead trumps; the double five was led.

   {To lead astray}, to guide in a wrong way, or into error; to
      seduce from truth or rectitude.

   {To lead captive}, to carry or bring into captivity.

   {To lead the way}, to show the way by going in front; to act
      as guide. --Goldsmith.

Lead \Lead\, n.
   1. The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as,
      to take the lead; to be under the lead of another.

            At the time I speak of, and having a momentary lead,
            . . . I am sure I did my country important service.
                                                  --Burke.

   2. precedence; advance position; also, the measure of
      precedence; as, the white horse had the lead; a lead of a
      boat's length, or of half a second.

   3. (Cards & Dominoes) The act or right of playing first in a
      game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played; as,
      your partner has the lead.

   4. An open way in an ice field. --Kane.

   5. (Mining) A lode.

   6. (Naut.) The course of a rope from end to end.

   7. (Steam Engine) The width of port opening which is
      uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of
      steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its
      stroke.

   Note: When used alone it means outside lead, or lead for the
         admission of steam. Inside lead refers to the release
         or exhaust.

   8. (Civil Engineering) the distance of haul, as from a
      cutting to an embankment.

   9. (Horology) The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel,
      in impelling another tooth or a pallet. --Saunier.

   {Lead angle} (Steam Engine), the angle which the crank maker
      with the line of centers, in approaching it, at the
      instant when the valve opens to admit steam.

   {Lead screw} (Mach.), the main longitudinal screw of a lathe,
      which gives the feed motion to the carriage.

Lead \Lead\, v. i.
   1. To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before,
      showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to
      have precedence or pre["e]minence; to be first or chief;
      -- used in most of the senses of lead, v. t.

   2. To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain
      place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to
      other vices.

            The mountain foot that leads towards Mantua. --Shak.

   {To lead} {off or out}, to go first; to begin.

Lead \Lead\, n.
   1. (Music.)
      (a) The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be
          repeated by the other parts.
      (b) A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a
          canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others.

   2. In an internal-combustion engine, the distance, measured
      in actual length of piston stroke or the corresponding
      angular displacement of the crank, of the piston from the
      end of the compression stroke when ignition takes place;
      -- called in full

   {lead of the ignition}. When ignition takes place during the
      working stroke the corresponding distance from the
      commencement of the stroke is called

   {negative lead}.

   3. (Mach.) The excess above a right angle in the angle
      between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine,
      on the same shaft.

   4. (Mach.) In spiral screw threads, worm wheels, or the like,
      the amount of advance of any point in the spiral for a
      complete turn.

   5. (Elec.)
      (a) A conductor conveying electricity, as from a dynamo.
      (b) The angle between the line joining the brushes of a
          continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical
          between the poles.
      (c) The advance of the current phase in an alternating
          circuit beyond that of the electromotive force
          producing it.

   6. (Theat.) A r[^o]le for a leading man or leading woman;
      also, one who plays such a r[^o]le.

Source : WordNet®

lead
     n 1: a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white
          when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray;
          "the children were playing with lead soldiers" [syn: {Pb},
           {atomic number 82}]
     2: an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the
        lead at the last turn"
     3: evidence pointing to a possible solution; "the police are
        following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to
        the perpetrator" [syn: {track}, {trail}]
     4: a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the
        lead'); "he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just
        waiting for someone to take the lead"; "they didn't follow
        our lead"
     5: the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the
        position of a moving target (correcting for the flight
        time of the missile)
     6: the introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing
        lead-in to a very serious matter" [syn: {lead-in}]
     7: an actor who plays a principal role [syn: {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; "he got a tip on the
        stock market"; "a good lead for a job" [syn: {tip}, {steer},
         {confidential information}, {wind}, {hint}]
     10: a news story of major importance [syn: {lead story}]
     11: the timing of ignition relative to the position of the
         piston in an internal-combustion engine [syn: {spark
         advance}]
     12: restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to
         restrain an animal [syn: {leash}, {tether}]
     13: thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in
         printing [syn: {leading}]
     14: mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of
         hardness; the marking substance in a pencil [syn: {pencil
         lead}]
     15: a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a
         tangle of jumper cables and clip leads" [syn: {jumper
         cable}, {jumper lead}]
     16: the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead
         was in the dummy"
     [also: {led}]

lead
     v 1: take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can
          you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to
          the palace" [syn: {take}, {direct}, {conduct}, {guide}]
     2: result in; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her
        blood left a stain on the napkin" [syn: {leave}, {result}]
     3: tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments
        among the guests"
     4: travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession
        was headed by John" [syn: {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 runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge
        doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth
        year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of
        her personal assets" [syn: {run}, {go}, {pass}, {extend}]
     7: be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?" [syn: {head}]
     8: be ahead of others; be the first; "she topped her class
        every year" [syn: {top}]
     9: be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead
        to better writing" [syn: {contribute}, {conduce}]
     10: lead, as in the performance of a composition; "conduct an
         orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for
         years" [syn: {conduct}, {direct}]
     11: pass or spend; "lead a good life"
     12: lead, extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the
         basement"; "The road runs South" [syn: {go}]
     13: move ahead (of others) in time or space [syn: {precede}]
         [ant: {follow}]
     14: cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire
         behind the cabinet" [syn: {run}]
     15: preside over; "John moderated the discussion" [syn: {moderate},
          {chair}]
     [also: {led}]