Hypertext Webster Gateway: "leading"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Lead \Lead\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Leaded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Leading}.]
1. To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing
leads the grooves of a rifle.

2. (Print.) To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead
a page; leaded matter.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Lead \Lead\ (l[=e]d), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Led} (l[e^]d); p. pr.
& vb. n. {Leading}.] [OE. leden, AS. l[=ae]dan (akin to OS.
l[=e]dian, D. leiden, G. leiten, Icel. le[imac][eth]a, Sw.
leda, Dan. lede), properly a causative fr. AS. li[eth]an to
go; akin to OHG. l[imac]dan, Icel. l[imac][eth]a, Goth.
lei[thorn]an (in comp.). Cf. {Lode}, {Loath}.]
1. To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some
physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a
jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind
man.

If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in
the ditch. --Wyclif
(Matt. xv.
14.)

They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto
the brow of the hill. --Luke iv. 29.

In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph,
sweet Liberty. --Milton.

2. 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.

The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a
cloud, to lead them the way. --Ex. xiii.
21.

He leadeth me beside the still waters. --Ps. xxiii.
2.

This thought might lead me through the world's vain
mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide.
--Milton.

3. 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.

Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he
might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or
possess places. --South.

4. 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.

As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. --Fairfax.

And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. --Leigh
Hunt.

5. 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.

He was driven by the necessities of the times, more
than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of
actions. --Eikon
Basilike.

Silly women, laden with sins,led away by divers
lusts. --2 Tim. iii.
6 (Rev. Ver.).

6. 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).

That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. --1
Tim. ii. 2.

Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that
leads melodious days. --Tennyson.

You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife
and daughter. --Dickens.

7. (Cards & Dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with;
as, to lead trumps; the double five was led.

{To lead astray}, to guide in a wrong way, or into error; to
seduce from truth or rectitude.

{To lead captive}, to carry or bring into captivity.

{To lead the way}, to show the way by going in front; to act
as guide. --Goldsmith.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Leading \Lead"ing\, a.
Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading
motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- {Lead"ing*ly},
adv.

{Leading case} (Law), a reported decision which has come to
be regarded as settling the law of the question involved.
--Abbott.

{Leading motive} [a translation of G. leitmotif] (Mus.), a
guiding theme; in the modern music drama of Wagner, a
marked melodic phrase or short passage which always
accompanies the reappearance of a certain person,
situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the
play; a sort of musical label.

{Leading note} (Mus.), the seventh note or tone in the
ascending major scale; the sensible note.

{Leading question}, a question so framed as to guide the
person questioned in making his reply.

{Leading strings}, strings by which children are supported
when beginning to walk.

{To be in leading strings}, to be in a state of infancy or
dependence, or under the guidance of others.

{Leading wheel}, a wheel situated before the driving wheels
of a locomotive engine.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Leading \Lead"ing\, n.
1. The act of guiding, directing, governing, or enticing;
guidance. --Shak.

2. Suggestion; hint; example. [Archaic] --Bacon.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

leading
adj 1: indicating the most important performer or role; "the
leading man"; "prima ballerina"; "prima donna"; "a
star figure skater"; "the starring role"; "a stellar
role"; "a stellar performance" [syn: {leading(p)}, {prima(p)},
{star(p)}, {starring(p)}, {stellar(a)}]
2: going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way;
"we rode in the leading car"; "the leading edge of
technology" [ant: {following}]
3: greatest in importance or degree or significance or
achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's
leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist" [syn: {greatest},
{leading(a)}, {preeminent}]
4: having the leading position or higher score in a contest;
"he is ahead by a pawn"; "the leading team in the pennant
race" [syn: {ahead(p)}, {in the lead}]
5: purposefully formulated to elicit a desired response; "a
leading question"
n 1: thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in
printing [syn: {lead}]
2: the activity of leading; "his leadership inspired the team"
[syn: {leadership}]


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