lead
- noun
- /lɛd/
- Archaic
- Before printing, it is essential to arrange the lead correctly to ensure proper alignment of the text.
Examples
-
His eyes were focused through one of the flat panes that alternated with the faceted lead crystal ones.
Fiction book (1992) -
We found it behind one of the lead panels.
Fiction book (1991) -
The case is lined with lead.
-
Traditionally, you're meant to use lead in the glaze.
-
Well, we were asked by the foreman to paint over every spot of rust with a red lead mixture.
-
The printer used a thin strip of metal called a lead to keep the letters in place.
-
In traditional typesetting, each lead helped separate the lines, creating clear and readable pages.
Synonyms
The space between lines of printed or typed text
Idioms
Compounds
- Specialized
A condition that happens when too much lead gets into the body and makes you sick
- Specialized
The time between starting and finishing a process often used in business
- Specialized
A rechargeable device with lead plates and weak sulphuric acid used in cars and for backup power
- Archaic
A rope with a heavy lead weight that sailors lower to measure water depth from a boat
- Specialized
Glass made with small amounts of the metal lead that is very clear and sparkly
- Archaic
A soft black material in pencil cores that is also used as a nuclear reactor moderator called graphite
- UK
A short wire with metal clips at both ends used to make temporary electric connections
- Specialized
A metal made from lead and a little of another metal used to make parts stronger and resist corrosion
- Specialized
A poisonous white chemical used to dye cloth and make coatings for metal and wood
- Informal
A very heavy, very filling sandwich people joke about to mean a hard situation
A rechargeable battery with lead plates and acid used in cars and backup power
- Archaic
A clear oily poisonous liquid once added to gasoline to reduce engine knocking
A low bushy tropical tree with feathery leaves and long pods used for animal food and to help the soil
- Specialized
A green rock that contains lead and gives small amounts of lead when processed
- Specialized
Heavy metal that people make harder by adding antimony or other metals for industrial use
- UK
Short wire with clips at each end that makes a temporary electrical connection between two points
- Archaic
A clear oily poison once added to petrol or gasoline to stop engine knocking
Surface Forms
Etymology
Lead In printing, a lead was a thin strip of the metal lead used between lines of type, so the name comes directly from the material used to space the text.