| Lead (lead) |
|---|
| n. | (l d) |
|---|
| Lead |
[OE. led,
leed, lead, AS. leád; akin to D.
lood, MHG. l t, G. loth plummet, sounding
lead, small weight, Sw. *** Dan. lod. &radic]123.] |
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.
An article made of lead or an alloy of
lead
A small cylinder of black lead or
plumbago, used in pencils.
|
To cover, fill, or affect
with lead] as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a
rifle.
To place leads between the
lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter.
|
| Lead (lead) |
|---|
| v. t. | (l***emacr]d) |
|---|
| Lead |
| [imp. ***
p. p. Led (l&ebreve]d); p. pr. *** vb.
n. Leading.] [OE. leden, AS.
l&aemacr]dan (akin to OS. l***emacr]dian, D.
leiden, G. leiten, Icel. le[ |
To guide or
conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact or
connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads
a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
To begin a game,
round, or trick, with] as, to lead trumps; the double five was
led.
|
To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing,
influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or
preëminence; to be first or chief; -- used in most of the senses
of lead, v. t.
|
The
act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the
lead; to be under the lead of another.
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.
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.
An open way in an ice field.
A lode.
The course of a rope from
end to end.
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.
the distance of
haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.
The action of a tooth,
as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet.
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The announcement by one voice
part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts.
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.
The excess above a right
angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound
engine, on the same shaft.
In spiral screw threads,
worm wheels, or the like, the amount of advance of any point in the
spiral for a complete turn.
A
conductor conveying electricity, as from a dynamo.
A rôle for a leading
man or leading woman; also, one who plays such a rôle.
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In celebration of Noah Webster's Birthday (October 16, 2009), we have prepared an updated website. 