lead

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To guide or take someone to a place.

   A waiter led us to our table.

2. 2
   verb

   To be in charge of a group, organisation, or activity.

   She leads a team of ten engineers.

3. 3
   verb

   To cause something to happen or result in something.

   This remark led to further arguments among the guests.

4. 4
   noun

   A leading position, especially in a race or competition.

   The runner took the lead at the last turn.

5. 5
   noun

   A piece of information that may help solve a problem or crime.

   The police are following a promising lead.

Multiword verbs with lead

• lead astray Phrasal verb A2

  to guide someone away from the correct physical direction

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Lead represents two unrelated Old English words that now share a spelling but have different pronunciations. The verb pronounced to rhyme with bead shares an ancient root with load, while the name of the metal, pronounced to rhyme with bed, is related to Dutch lood “lead” and German Lot “plumb line, solder.”

From Middle English leden, from Old English lǣdan (“to lead”), from Proto-West Germanic *laidijan, from Proto-Germanic *laidijaną (“to cause one to go, lead”), causative of Proto-Germanic *līþaną (“to go”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- (“to leave, die”). Cognate with West Frisian liede (“to lead”), Dutch leiden (“to lead”), German leiten (“to lead”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lede (“to lead”), Norwegian Nynorsk leia (“to lead”), Swedish leda (“to lead”). Related to Old English līþan (“to go, travel”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary