Lead vs. Leading

Lead vs. Leading — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Lead and Leading

Leadnoun

(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).

Leadingadjective

Providing guidance or direction.

Avoid leading questions if you really want the truth.

Leadnoun

(countable) A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or (dated) to estimate velocity in knots.

Leadingadjective

Ranking first.

He is a leading supplier of plumbing supplies in the county.

Leadnoun

A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.

Leadingadjective

Occurring in advance; preceding.

The stock market can be a leading economic indicator.
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Leadnoun

Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading.

This copy has too much lead; I prefer less space between the lines.

Leadingnoun

An act by which one is led or guided.

Leadnoun

Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs.

Leadingnoun

(typography) Vertical space added between lines; line spacing.

Leadnoun

(plural leads) A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates.

Leadingnoun

thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

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Leadnoun

(countable) A thin cylinder of black lead or plumbago (graphite) used in pencils.

Leadingnoun

the activity of leading;

his leadership inspired the team

Leadnoun

(slang) Bullets; ammunition.

They pumped him full of lead.

Leadingadjective

indicating the most important performer or role;

the leading manprima ballerinaprima donnaa star figure skaterthe starring rolea stellar rolea stellar performance

Leadnoun

(uncountable) The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction, course

to take the leadto be under the lead of another

Leadingadjective

going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way;

we rode in the leading carthe leading edge of technology

Leadnoun

(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.

the white horse had the lead.to be in the leadShe lost the lead.Smith managed to extend her lead over the second place to half a second.

Leadingadjective

greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement;

our greatest statesmenthe country's leading poeta preeminent archeologist

Leadnoun

An insulated metallic wire for electrical devices and equipment.

Leadingadjective

having the leading position or higher score in a contest;

he is ahead by a pawnthe leading team in the pennant race

Leadnoun

(baseball) The situation where a runner steps away from a base while waiting for the pitch to be thrown.

The runner took his lead from first.

Leadingadjective

purposefully formulated to elicit a desired response;

a leading question

Leadnoun

The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played

your partner has the lead

Leadnoun

(acting) The main role in a play or film; the lead role.

Leadnoun

(acting) The actor who plays the main role; lead actor.

Leadnoun

(countable) A channel of open water in an ice field.

Leadnoun

A lode.

Leadnoun

(nautical) The course of a rope from end to end.

Leadnoun

A rope, leather strap, or similar device with which to lead an animal; a leash

Leadnoun

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.

Leadnoun

Charging lead. en

Leadnoun

(civil engineering) The distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.

Leadnoun

(horology) The action of a tooth, such as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet.

Leadnoun

Hypothesis that has not been pursued

The investigation stalled when all leads turned out to be dead ends.

Leadnoun

Information obtained by a detective or police officer that allows him or her to discover further details about a crime or incident.

The police have a couple of leads they will follow to solve the case.

Leadnoun

(marketing) Potential opportunity for a sale or transaction, a potential customer.

Joe is a great addition to our sales team, he has numerous leads in the paper industry.

Leadnoun

Information obtained by a news reporter about an issue or subject that allows him or her to discover more details.

Leadnoun

(curling) The player who throws the first two rocks for a team.

Leadnoun

(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.)

Leadnoun

An important news story that appears on the front page of a newspaper or at the beginning of a news broadcast

Leadnoun

(engineering) The axial distance a screw thread travels in one revolution. It is equal to the pitch times the number of starts.

Leadnoun

(music) In a barbershop quartet, the person who sings the melody, usually the second tenor

Leadnoun

(music) The announcement by one voice part of a theme to be repeated by the other parts.

Leadnoun

(music) A mark or a short passage in one voice part, as of a canon, serving as a cue for the entrance of others.

Leadnoun

(engineering) The excess above a right angle in the angle between two consecutive cranks, as of a compound engine, on the same shaft.

Leadnoun

(electrical) The angle between the line joining the brushes of a continuous-current dynamo and the diameter symmetrical between the poles.

Leadnoun

(electrical) The advance of the current phase in an alternating circuit beyond that of the electromotive force producing it.

Leadverb

(transitive) To cover, fill, or affect with lead

continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle.

Leadverb

To place leads between the lines of.

to lead a page; leaded matter

Leadverb

To guide or conduct.

Leadverb

To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection.

a father leads a child;a jockey leads a horse with a halter;a dog leads a blind man

Leadverb

To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, especially by going with or going in advance of, to lead a pupil; to guide somebody somewhere or to bring somebody somewhere by means of instructions.

The guide was able to lead the tourists through the jungle safely.

Leadverb

(figuratively): To direct; to counsel; to instruct

A good teacher should lead their students to the right answer.

Leadverb

To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; to command, especially a military or business unit.

to lead a political partyto lead the search team

Leadverb

To guide or conduct oneself 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).

The evidence leads me to believe he is guilty.

Leadverb

(intransitive) To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preeminence; to be first or chief; — used in most of the senses of the transitive verb.

Leadverb

(heading) To begin, to be ahead.

Leadverb

(transitive) To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among.

the big sloop led the fleet of yachts;the Guards led the attack;Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages

Leadverb

(intransitive) To lead off or out, to go first; to begin.

Leadverb

(intransitive) To be more advanced in technology or business than others.

Leadverb

(transitive) To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure

to lead someone to a righteous cause

Leadverb

(intransitive) To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place.

the path leads to the mill;gambling leads to other vices

Leadverb

To produce (with to).

The shock led to a change in his behaviour.

Leadverb

misspelling of led

Leadadjective

(not comparable) Foremost.

The contestants are all tied; no one has the lead position.

Leadadjective

(music) main, principal

the lead guitaristlead trumpet

Leadnoun

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

the children were playing with lead soldiers

Leadnoun

an advantage held by a competitor in a race;

he took the lead at the last turn

Leadnoun

evidence pointing to a possible solution;

the police are following a promising leadthe trail led straight to the perpetrator

Leadnoun

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

he takes the lead in any groupwe were just waiting for someone to take the leadthey didn't follow our lead

Leadnoun

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

Leadnoun

the introductory section of a story;

it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter

Leadnoun

an actor who plays a principal role

Leadnoun

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

he took a long lead off first

Leadnoun

an indication of potential opportunity;

he got a tip on the stock marketa good lead for a job

Leadnoun

a news story of major importance

Leadnoun

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

Leadnoun

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

Leadnoun

thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

Leadnoun

mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

Leadnoun

a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire;

it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads

Leadnoun

the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge;

the lead was in the dummy

Leadverb

take somebody somewhere;

We lead him to our chiefcan you take me to the main entrance?He conducted us to the palace

Leadverb

result in;

The water left a mark on the silk dressHer blood left a stain on the napkin

Leadverb

tend to or result in;

This remark lead to further arguments among the guests

Leadverb

travel in front of; go in advance of others;

The procession was headed by John

Leadverb

cause to undertake a certain action;

Her greed led her to forge the checks

Leadverb

stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point;

Service runs all the way to CranburyHis knowledge doesn't go very farMy memory extends back to my fourth year of lifeThe facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets

Leadverb

be in charge of;

Who is heading this project?

Leadverb

be ahead of others; be the first;

she topped her class every year

Leadverb

be conducive to;

The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing

Leadverb

lead, as in the performance of a composition;

conduct an orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years

Leadverb

pass or spend;

lead a good life

Leadverb

lead, extend, or afford access;

This door goes to the basementThe road runs South

Leadverb

move ahead (of others) in time or space

Leadverb

cause something to pass or lead somewhere;

Run the wire behind the cabinet

Leadverb

preside over;

John moderated the discussion