Lead (disambiguation)

Lead has two different pronunciations and several different meanings, usually related to either the chemical element lead (a heavy metal) or the verb to lead.

Look up lead in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

When pronounced /ˈlɛd/ (rhymes with "bed")

With this pronunciation, "lead" refers to:

• Lead, the chemical element
  • Leads, a term for metal miniature figures used in wargaming, which were once commonly made from an alloy of lead and tin.
• Pencil lead, which is actually graphite but appears similar to oxidized lead metal
• Sounding line or lead line ("the lead"), to measure water depth, in navigation
• Tetraethyllead, the "lead" in leaded gasoline

The past tense of the verb to lead is led, pronounced /ˈlɛd/. It is often misspelled as lead.

See also:

• Leading (or ledding) in typography

When pronounced /ˈliːd/ (rhymes with "need")

With this pronunciation, "lead" generally means "first", "ahead", or "guide":

Science and technology

• Lead, the amount of distance aimed in front of a moving target, also known as deflection
• Lead compound, a chemical compound in drug discovery (not necessarily with lead the metal)
• Lead (electronics), a metallic wire for electrical devices and equipment
• Waveforms lead, the same as phase shift
• Lead (engineering)
• Lead (geology), a subsurface feature with the potential to have entrapped oil or gas
• Lead (sea ice), a temporary stretch of open water in pack ice
• Lead-lag compensator, a component in a control system
• Lead (steam engine), a valve timing parameter
• Lead (railroad), a railroad track before or after the classification yard.

Performing arts

• Leading actor/actress
• Lead and follow, the direction or guidance one dance partner communicates to the other

Music theory

• Lead instrument, such as lead guitar
  • Lead, another term for a guitar solo performed by the lead guitar
  • Lead, type of voice, or patch, in synthesizer, dedicated to play solo or melodic lines.
• Lead sheet
• Lead vocalist
• Leading-tone or leading-note
• Voice leading

Writing, journalism, and publishing

• Lead paragraph, the opening paragraph of an article
• Lead (news) (or lede), the leading news story or leading part of a news story
• News lead, a tip or clue that may lead to the uncovering of newsworthy information

Business and academia

• LEAD Technologies, Inc.
• Pay per lead, a method of marketing
• Sales lead, a potential customer
• Research Lead, a professional job title at a wide range of universities and medical centres for a lead scientist

Animals

• Lead (leash)
• Lead (tack)
• Lead (leg), the leg that advances most in a quadruped's cantering or galloping stride

Other uses

• Lead, the first part of Hangul syllable, the same as syllable onset or "initial"
• Lead off, in baseball, a baserunner's position from the base he occupies
• Lead (band)
• Lead, South Dakota (pronounced [liːd]), a city in the United States
• Honda Lead - scooter
• Lead climbing
• Lead (curling) - curling position