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Definition lead

Etymology 1

From Middle English led, leed, from Old English l?ad (“lead”), from Proto-Germanic *laud? (“lead”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewd?- (“lead”). Cognate with Scots leid, lede (“lead”), North Frisian lud, luad (“lead”), West Frisian lead (“lead”), Dutch lood (“lead”), German Lot (“solder, plummet, sounding line”), Swedish lod (“lead”), Icelandic lóð (“a plumb, weight”), Irish luaidhe (“lead”).

Alternative etymology suggests the possibility that Proto-Germanic *laud? may derive from Proto-Celtic *loudom, from Proto-Indo-European *plow(d)- (“to flow”). If so, then cognate with Latin plumbum (“lead”). Cognate with German leiten (“to lead, manage, conduct”). More at flow.

Noun

lead (countable and uncountable, plural leads)

  1. (uncountable) 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, symbol Pb (from Latin plumbum).
  2. (countable, nautical) A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or (dated) to estimate velocity in knots.
  3. A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.
  4. (uncountable, typography) Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.
  5. Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.
  6. (plural leads) A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.
  7. (countable) A thin cylinder of black lead or plumbago (graphite) used in pencils.
  8. (slang) Bullets; ammunition.
Verb

lead (third-person singular simple present leads, present participle leading, simple past and past participle leaded)

  1. (transitive) To cover, fill, or affect with lead
  2. (transitive, printing, historical) To place leads between the lines of.

Etymology 2

lead (countable and uncountable, plural leads)

  1. (uncountable) The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction, course
  2. (uncountable) Precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; the state of being ahead in a race; the highest score in a game in an incomplete game.
  3. (Britain, countable) An insulated metallic wire for electrical devices and equipment.
  4. (baseball) The situation where a runner steps away from a base while waiting for the pitch to be thrown.
  5. (uncountable, card games, dominoes) The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played
  6. (acting) The main role in a play or film; the lead role.
  7. (acting) The actor who plays the main role; lead actor.
  8. (countable) A channel of open water in an ice field.
  9. (countable, mining) A lode.
  10. (nautical) The course of a rope from end to end.
  11. A rope, leather strap, or similar device with which to lead an animal; a leash
  12. In a 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.
  13. Charging lead. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  14. (civil engineering) The distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.
  15. (horology) The action of a tooth, such as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet.
  16. Hypothesis that has not been pursued
  17. Information obtained by a detective or police officer that allows him or her to discover further details about a crime or incident.
  18. (marketing) Potential opportunity for a sale or transaction, a potential customer.
  19. Information obtained by a news reporter about an issue or subject that allows him or her to discover more details.
  20. (curling) The player who throws the first two rocks for a team.
  21. (newspapers) A teaser; a lead-in; the start of a newspaper column, telling who, what, when, where, why and how. (Sometimes spelled as lede for this usage to avoid ambiguity.)
  22. An important news story that appears on the front page of a newspaper or at the beginning of a news broadcast
  23. (engineering) The axial distance a screw thread travels in one revolution. It is equal to the pitch times the number of starts.
  24. (music) In a barbershop quartet, the person who sings the melody, usually the second tenor
  25. (music) The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts.
  26. (music) A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others.
  27. (engineering) The excess above a right angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine, on the same shaft.
  28. (electrical) The angle between the line joining the brushes of a continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical between the poles.
  29. (electrical) The advance of the current phase in an alternating circuit beyond that of the electromotive force producing it.
Adjective

lead (not comparable)

  1. (not comparable) Foremost.
  2. (music) main, principal

Etymology 3

Verb

lead

  1. Misspelling of led.

Results 311 Words with the letters LEAD

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6 letter words with the letters LEAD 
ADDLED 10
ADENYL 11
AFIELD 11
AGEDLY 12
ALBEDO 11
ALCADE 11
ALIPED 11
ALLUDE 10
ALMUDE 12
ALUDEL 10
AMBLED 14
ANGLED 11
ANKLED 13
ARGLED 10
BAILED 11
BALDED 12
BALDER 11
BALKED 15
BALLED 12
BAWLED 14
BEADLE 11
BEDLAM 14
BEGLAD 13
BELADY 13
BELAUD 12
BELDAM 14
BLADED 12
BLADES 11
BLAMED 14
BLARED 11
BLAWED 14
BLAZED 20
CABLED 14
CALKED 15
CALLED 12
CALMED 14
CALVED 15
CANDLE 12
CAUDLE 12
CEDULA 12
CLADES 11
CLAWED 14
CLAYED 13
COALED 11
COLEAD 11
CRADLE 11
CREDAL 11
DABBLE 14
DADDLE 10
DAGGLE 12
DALEDH 11
DALETH 10
DAMSEL 11
DANDLE 10
DANGLE 11
DAPPLE 14
DARKLE 12
DAWDLE 12
DAZZLE 26
DEADLY 11
DEAFLY 13
DEARLY 10
DECALS 11
DECLAW 14
DEFLEA 11
DELAYS 10
DERMAL 11
DEWLAP 14
DOABLE 11
DYABLE 13
EAGLED 10
ELAPID 11
FABLED 14
FAILED 11
FARDEL 11
FEUDAL 12
FLAKED 15
FLAMED 14
FLARED 11
FLAWED 14
FLAYED 13
FOALED 11
GABLED 13
GALLED 11
GAOLED 10
GELADA 10
GLADES 10
GLARED 10
GLAZED 19
GOALED 10
HAILED 10
HALIDE 10
HALOED 10
HALTED 10
HALVED 14
HANDLE 11
HAULED 11
HEALED 10
HERALD 10
JAILED 17
LACKED 15
LADLED 10
LAGEND 11
LAGGED 12
LALLED 10
LAMBED 14
LAMEDH 13
LAMEDS 11
LAMMED 14
LAMPED 14
LANCED 12
LANDED 10
LAPPED 14
LAPSED 11
LARKED 12
LASHED 10
LATHED 10
LAUDED 10
LAZIED 17
LEAFED 11
LEAKED 12
LEAPED 11
LEAVED 12
LOAFED 11
LOAMED 11
MACLED 14
MAILED 11
MALFED 14
MALLED 12
MALTED 11
MARLED 11
MAULED 12
MEDALS 11
MEDIAL 11
MEDLAR 11
PADDLE 12
PADLES 11
PALLED 12
PALMED 14
PARLED 11
PEALED 11
PEDALO 11
PEDALS 11
PEDLAR 11
PLACED 14
PLANED 12
PLATED 11
PLAYED 13
PLEADS 11
PLEIAD 11
RECLAD 11
SALVED 12
SCALED 11
SHALED 10
SLAKED 12
SLAVED 12
SLAYED 10
TABLED 11
TALCED 11
TALKED 12
UNLADE 10
UNLEAD 10
VAILED 12
VALUED 13
VALVED 16
VEALED 12
VIALED 12
WADDLE 12
WADMEL 14
WAILED 11
WALKED 15
WALLED 12
WANDLE 12
WAULED 12
WAWLED 14
WEALDS 11
WHALED 13
YAWLED 13
5 letter words with the letters LEAD 
ABLED 10
AXLED 14
BALED 10
BLADE 10
CLADE 10
DECAL 10
LACED 10
LAKED 11
LAMED 10
LAVED 11
LAWED 10
LAZED 16
MEDAL 10
PADLE 10
PALED 10
PEDAL 10
PLEAD 10
WALED 10
WEALD 10
4 letter words with the letters LEAD 
DALE 6
DEAL 6
LADE 6
LEAD 6
3 letter words with the letters LEAD 
ALE 4
DAL 5
DEL 5
ELD 5
LAD 5
LEA 4
LED 5
2 letter words with the letters LEAD 
AD 3
AE 2
AL 3
DA 3
DE 3
ED 3
EL 3
LA 3

You can also try words with the phrase LEAD, words starting with the letters LEAD, or words ending in the letters LEAD.