Adjacent Words

Leading definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LE'ADING, ppr.
1. Guiding; conducting; preceding; drawing; alluring; passing life.
2. a. Chief; principal; capital; most influential; as a leading motive; a leading man in a party.
3. showing the way by going first.
He left his mother a countess by patent, which was a new leading example.
LE'ADING, n. Guidance; the act of conducting; direction.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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, prima, star, starring, stellar]
2: greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist" [syn: leading, preeminent]
3: going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way; "we rode in the leading car"; "the leading edge of technology" [ant: following]
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, in the lead, leading] n
1: thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing [syn: lead, leading]
2: the activity of leading; "his leadership inspired the team" [syn: leadership, leading]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1597 1. coming or ranking first ; foremost 2. exercising leadership 3. providing direction or guidance <a leading question> 4. given most prominent display <the leading story>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adj. & n. --adj. chief; most important. --n. guidance, leadership. Phrases and idioms: leading aircraftman the rank above aircraftman in the RAF. leading article a newspaper article giving the editorial opinion. leading counsel the senior barrister of two or more in a case. leading edge 1 the foremost edge of an aerofoil, esp. a wing or propeller blade. 2 Electronics the part of a pulse in which the amplitude increases (opp. trailing edge). leading lady the actress playing the principal part. leading light a prominent and influential person. leading man the actor playing the principal part. leading note Mus. = SUBTONIC. leading question a question that prompts the answer wanted. leading seaman the rank next below NCO in the Royal Navy. leading-strings (or -reins) 1 strings for guiding children learning to walk. 2 oppressive supervision or control. leading tone US Mus. = leading note. 2. n. Printing = LEAD(2) n. 6.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Leading Lead"ing, n. 1. The act of guiding, directing, governing, or enticing; guidance. --Shak. 2. Suggestion; hint; example. [Archaic] --Bacon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. The leading person or thing in a particular area is the one which is most important or successful. ...a leading member of Bristol's Sikh community... ADJ: ADJ n 2. The leading role in a play or film is the main role. A leading lady or man is an actor who plays this role. ADJ: ADJ n 3. The leading group, vehicle, or person in a race or procession is the one that is at the front. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Governing, ruling. 2. Chief, principal, capital, most important.

Moby Thesaurus

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