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lead

lead

26 4.7
A rope or light chain used to guide an animal
  • noun
  • /liːd/
  • UK
translation icon : correa
  • China and South Korea have taken the lead in exhorting Pyongyang to open up its economy.

We'll have Eileen walking perfectly to heal with that combination of lead pressure and positive reinforcement.

Examples

  • Well, you'd better keep him on a lead next time.

  • Let's get the lead out of here.

  • The passenger in the lead van was a few years older than the driver.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Community colleges are perhaps in the lead when it comes to assessment and placement of students.

    Academic text (1991)
  • - Okay, let's get a halter on him and a lead rope.

  • Out here, if the lead dog bolts for him, the rest would follow, risking traffic.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I lay beside Speckles, our lead ox, up near his head.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Alfie's auntie bought her this little pug for Christmas that walks and it's on a lead and she loves it.

  • Clayton tied Sally's lead to a bush and climbed the front porch stairs to the door.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The dog tugged at the lead, excited to chase after the squirrels in the park.

Synonyms

leash
vslead
76 1.0

A long thin rope or strap used to hold and control a dog

is a general rope or light chain used mainly for guiding and holding animals
tether
vslead
37 5.4

A rope or chain used to tie an animal so it cannot move far

is used for guiding or holding rather than tying an animal to one place

Antonyms

1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

Idioms

24 2.7

In a first position that gives an advantage in a competition

16 3.0

Ahead of other people in a race or competition

7 3.5

Holding the first position in a game or race

4 8.4

To delay saying the most important part of a story so readers miss it

3 7.7

Make someone do what you want without them noticing

to eat lead
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To be shot at with bullets

1 9.7

Act in a way that makes you open to attack or criticism

To marry someone in a formal wedding ceremony

You can reach the same result in many different ways

Compounds

lead story
  • Literature
33 3.0

The most important news story in a newspaper, on TV, or online

lead poisoning
  • Specialized
9 3.9

A condition that happens when too much lead gets into the body and makes you sick

lead-in
  • Literature
9 4.9

A short introduction before the main part of a talk or story

lead-in
  • Specialized
8 7.0

A wire that connects an antenna to a TV or radio

lead time
  • Specialized
7 4.5

The time between starting and finishing a process often used in business

1 1.3

A pencil that uses graphite for writing or drawing

1 3.5

Does not contain the metal lead

lead sheet
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A piece of music that shows the tune, words, and chords

lead-acid battery
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A rechargeable device with lead plates and weak sulphuric acid used in cars and for backup power

white lead
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A poisonous white pigment made from a heavy metal and used in older paints

lead bank
  • Jargon
1 6.9

A bank that coordinates a group of other banks to give a loan together

lead line
  • Archaic
1 8.1

A rope with a heavy lead weight that sailors lower to measure water depth from a boat

lead glass
  • Specialized
1 6.3

Glass made with small amounts of the metal lead that is very clear and sparkly

red lead
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A bright red powder used to make paint and to protect metal from rust

1 2.4

A thin dark core inside a pencil that makes marks on paper

sounding lead
  • Archaic
1 9.3

A heavy metal weight tied to a rope used to measure how deep water is

black lead
  • Archaic
8.6

A soft black material in pencil cores that is also used as a nuclear reactor moderator called graphite

8.1

A short wire with metal clips at both ends used to make temporary electric connections

antimonial lead
  • Specialized
8.1

A metal made from lead and a little of another metal used to make parts stronger and resist corrosion

lead arsenate
  • Archaic
9.9

A poisonous white chemical once used to kill insects on crops

lead acetate
  • Specialized
8.4

A poisonous white chemical used to dye cloth and make coatings for metal and wood

lead ore
  • Specialized
6.3

A rock that contains a heavy grey metal people take out to use

9.9

A shrub that grows on sandy river banks and is thought to show nearby lead

lead carbonate
  • Archaic
8.9

A white poisonous powder that contains lead and was used to make paint

lead chromate
  • Specialized
9.3

A bright yellow poisonous chemical used to make paint

lead colic
  • Archaic
9.9

Severe belly pain and constipation caused by long term lead poisoning

lead sandwich
  • Informal
8.4

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

5.5

A dull grey-blue color like old metal

A person who starts and encourages dancing at parties

lead tetraethyl
  • Archaic
9.9

A clear oily poisonous liquid once added to gasoline to reduce engine knocking

7.9

A low bushy tropical tree with feathery leaves and long pods used for animal food and to help the soil

green lead ore
  • Specialized
9.9

A green rock that contains lead and gives small amounts of lead when processed

hard lead
  • Specialized
8.1

Heavy metal that people make harder by adding antimony or other metals for industrial use

4.7

Short wire with clips at each end that makes a temporary electrical connection between two points

red-lead putty
  • Archaic
9.3

A thick paste used to seal metal pipe joints

pig lead
  • Specialized
9.3

Blocks of lead made for storage or moving

sugar of lead
  • Archaic
9.9

A poisonous white chemical used long ago to dye fabrics and make glazes

tetraethyl lead
  • Archaic
9.4

A clear oily poison once added to petrol or gasoline to stop engine knocking

white lead ore
  • Specialized
9.9

A mineral that contains lead and is used to make white paint

How Strong

chain
184 1.0
tether
37 5.4
lead
  • UK
26 4.7
string
76 2.1

Surface Forms

lead singular
leads plural

Etymology

Lead The rope or chain you use for a dog is called a lead because it is what you use to lead the animal, so its name comes from the verb 'to guide'.