lead - noun

an advantage held by a competitor in a race

a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey

evidence pointing to a possible solution

a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead')

the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)

the introductory section of a story

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

an actor who plays a principal role

(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base

an indication of potential opportunity

a news story of major importance

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

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

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

a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire

the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge

lead - verb

• take somebody somewhere
• have as a result or residue
• tend to or result in
• travel in front of; go in advance of others
• cause to undertake a certain action
• stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
• be in charge of
• be ahead of others; be the first
• be conducive to
• lead, as in the performance of a composition
• lead, extend, or afford access
• move ahead (of others) in time or space
• cause something to pass or lead somewhere
• preside over

lead - thesaurus

chair   conduce   conduct   contribute   direct   extend   go   guide   head   hint   leading   leash   leave   lede   moderate   pass   pb   precede   principal   result   run   star   steer   take   tether   tip   top   track   trail   wind