(lēd) v. led, lead·ing v.t.
1. To go with or ahead of so as to show the way; guide.
2. To draw along; guide by or as by pulling: to lead a person by the hand.
3. To serve as a direction or route for: The path led them to a valley.
4. To cause to go in a certain course of direction, as wire, water, etc.
5 a To direct the affairs or actions of; be the leader of, as an army or expedition. b To direct the playing or performance of: to lead an orchestra.
6. To have the first or foremost place among: He led the field by ten feet.
7. To influence or control the opinions, thoughts, actions, etc., of; induce: His experiments led him to these conclusions.
8. To live or experience; pass: to lead a happy life.
9. To begin or open: to lead a discussion.
10. In card games, to begin a round of play with: He led the ace.
11. In hunting, to aim a weapon or missile ahead of (a moving target).
—v.i.
12. To act as guide; conduct.
13. To have leadership or command; be in control.
14. To be guided: The horse leads easily.
15. To be first or in advance.
16. To afford a way or passage; reach or extend: The road led into a swamp.
17. In card games, to make the first play.
18. In boxing, to strike at an opponent, especially in testing his defense: to lead with a left.
—to lead off To make a beginning; start.
—to lead on To entice or tempt, especially to extravagance or error.
—to lead one a merry chase (or dance) To cause someone trouble or confusion by unpredictable actions.
—to lead the way
1. To act as guide.
2. To take the initiative.
—to lead to To result in; cause: His carelessness led to his downfall.
—to lead with one's chin U.S. Slang To expose oneself to unnecessary harm.
—noun
1. Position in advance or at the head; priority.
2. The distance, time, etc., by which anything precedes.
3. The act of leading or conducting; guidance: to give a novice a lead in hunting; a clue or hint.
4. In cards, etc., the right to play first in a round; the card, piece, or suit played first.
5. A way or passage; especially, an open channel or passage through ice.
6. A lode or vein of ore; also, an old river bed where gold has been found.
7. In drama, the principal part; the actor who performs in such a part.
8. Naut. The course of a rope.
9. Electr. A main electrical conductor.
10. In shooting a gun, the act of aiming ahead of a moving target.
11. In baseball, the distance from base of a runner ready to run to the next base.
12. A leash for leading a dog.
13. In journalism, the opening of a news story with a summary of its contents.
—adjective Acting as leader: the lead dog. [OE læden cause to go] Synonyms (verb): conduct, convey, direct, escort, excel, guide, head, outstrip, precede, surpass. See ACTUATE, DRAW, INFLUENCE, PERSUADE, PRECEDE. Antonyms: ape, chase, copy, follow, imitate, obey, pursue, succeed.

(led) noun
1. A soft, heavy, inelastic, malleable, ductile, bluish–gray metallic element (symbol Pb) in the fourth group of the periodic table, most commonly occurring in the sulfide mineral, galena.
2. Any one of various articles made of lead or its alloys.
3. Printing A thin strip of type metal or brass used in composition.
4. Naut. A weight of lead used in sounding at sea.
5. Leaden sheets or plates used for covering roofs.
6. One of the cames in a diamond–paned window.
7. Graphite: also called black lead.
8. A mixture of lead carbonate and hydrated lead oxide: also called white lead.
9. Colloq. Projectiles from firearms; bullets.
—v.t.
1. To cover, weight, fasten, treat, or fill with lead.
2. To glaze, as porcelain, with powdered metallic ore.
3. Printing To separate (lines of type) with leads.
4. To construct (a window) with leaden cames.
—v.i.
5. To become filled or clogged with lead: said of rifle grooves. [OE lēad, prob. <Celtic]
—lead′y adjective