lead

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”

cause something to pass or lead somewhere“Run the wire behind the cabinet”

take somebody somewhere“we led him to our chief”

produce as a result or residue“The water left a mark on the silk dress”

travel in front of; go in advance of others“The procession was headed by John”

lead, as in the performance of a composition“conduct an orchestra”

be conducive to“The use of computers in the classroom led to better writing”

preside over“John moderated the discussion”

be in charge of“Who is heading this project?”

be ahead of others; be the first“she topped her class every year”

lead, extend, or afford access“This door goes to the basement”

move ahead (of others) in time or space

tend to or result in“This remark led to further arguments among the guests”

cause to undertake a certain action“Her greed led her to forge the checks”

an indication of potential opportunity“he got a tip on the stock market”

a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire“it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads”

evidence pointing to a possible solution“the police are following a promising lead”

the introductory section of a story“it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter”

an actor who plays a principal role

restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal

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”

a news story of major importance

the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine

thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

an advantage held by a competitor in a race“he took the lead at the last turn”

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)

(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning

(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base“he took a long lead off first”

the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge“the lead was in the dummy”