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What does "lead" mean?

In addition to the idioms beginning with lead, also see all roads lead to Rome; blind leading the blind; get the lead out of; go over (like a lead balloon); put lead in one's pencil; you can lead a horse to water.

See lead in WNW Idioms

lead off

to begin; start
â Baseball to be the first batter in the lineup or of an inning (sense )

lead on

to conduct further
to lure or tempt

lead someone a merry chase

to cause someone trouble by luring into a vain pursuit

lead up to

to prepare the way for
to approach (a subject) in a subtle or indirect way

lead with one's chin

Informal to act so imprudently as to invite disaster

See lead in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Idioms

lead the way

To show a course or route by going in advance.
To be foremost in an endeavor or trend: The firm led the way in the application of new technology.

lead up to

To result in by a series of steps: events leading up to the coup.
To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks.

get the lead out

Informal

To start moving or move more rapidly.

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» LEAD abbreviations & acronyms

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