cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc. while moving forward

she emerged leading a bay horse

be a route or means of access to a particular place or in a particular direction

the door led to a long hallway

a farm track led off to the left

be in charge or command of

a military delegation was led by the Chief of Staff

have the advantage over competitors in a race or game

he followed up with a break of 105 to lead 3-0

the Wantage jockey was leading the field

have or experience (a particular way of life)

she's led a completely sheltered life

a position of advantage in a contest; first place

the team burst into life and took the lead

they were beaten 5-3 after twice being in the lead

the initiative in an action; an example for others to follow

Britain is now taking the lead in environmental policies

a piece of information that may help in the resolution of a problem

detectives investigating the murder are chasing new leads

I have a lead on a job that sounds really promising

the chief part in a play or film

she had the lead in a new film

the lead role

the item of news given the greatest prominence in a newspaper, broadcast, etc.

the ‘pensions revolution’ is the lead in the Times

the lead story on CNN

a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other domestic animal

the dog is our constant walking companion and is always kept on a lead

a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance, or that connects two points of a circuit together

the distance advanced by a screw in one turn

an artificial watercourse leading to a mill

a soft, heavy, ductile bluish-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 82. It has been used in roofing, plumbing, ammunition, storage batteries, radiation shields, etc., and its compounds have been used in crystal glass, as an anti-knock agent in petrol, and (formerly) in paints

an item or implement made of lead

graphite used as the part of a pencil that makes a mark

scrawls done with a bit of pencil lead

a blank space between lines of print