Lead (electronics)

In electronics, a lead has two meanings:

An electrical connection consisting of a length of wire or soldering pad (smd) that comes from a device. Leads are used for physical support, to transfer power, to probe circuits (see multimeter), and to transmit information. The tiny leads coming off through-hole components are also often called pins.
Another is the difference in time between two waveforms of the same frequency. One waveform is said to lead another if it precedes it. (See also Phase (waves), especially the section on "Phase Shift")