'Leading' definitions:
Definition of 'leading'
From: WordNet
adjective
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(p), prima(p), star(p), starring(p), stellar(a)]
adjective
Greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist" [syn: leading(a), preeminent]
adjective
Going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way; "we rode in the leading car"; "the leading edge of technology" [ant: following]
adjective
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(p), in the lead, leading]
noun
Thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing [syn: lead, leading]
noun
The activity of leading; "his leadership inspired the team" [syn: leadership, leading]
Definition of 'Leading'
From: GCIDE
- Lead \Lead\ (l[e^]d), 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. [1913 Webster]
- 2. (Print.) To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Leading'
From: GCIDE
- 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 or connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man. [1913 Webster]
- If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in the ditch. --Wyclif (Matt. xv. 14.) [1913 Webster]
- They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill. --Luke iv. 29. [1913 Webster]
- In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way. --Ex. xiii. 21. [1913 Webster]
- He leadeth me beside the still waters. --Ps. xxiii. 2. [1913 Webster]
- This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or possess places. --South. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. --Fairfax. [1913 Webster]
- And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. --Leigh Hunt. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- He was driven by the necessities of the times, more than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of actions. --Eikon Basilike. [1913 Webster]
- Silly women, laden with sins, led away by divers lusts. --2 Tim. iii. 6 (Rev. Ver.). [1913 Webster]
- 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). [1913 Webster]
- That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. --1 Tim. ii. 2. [1913 Webster]
- Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that leads melodious days. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]
- You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife and daughter. --Dickens. [1913 Webster]
- 7. (Cards & Dominoes) To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps; the double five was led. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Leading'
From: GCIDE
- Leading \Lead"ing\, a. Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- {Lead"ing*ly}, adv. [1913 Webster]
- 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 musical 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. Also called leitmotif or leitmotiv.
- 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. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Leading'
From: GCIDE
- Leading \Lead"ing\, n.
- 1. The act of guiding, directing, governing, or enticing; guidance. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Suggestion; hint; example. [Archaic] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'leading'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- absolute,
- all-absorbing,
- antecedent,
- anterior,
- arch,
- ascendant,
- at the head,
- authoritarian,
- authoritative,
- authority,
- authorized,
- autocratic,
- banner,
- best,
- boss,
- capital,
- cardinal,
- central,
- champion,
- chief,
- clothed with authority,
- command,
- commanding,
- competent,
- conduct,
- consequential,
- considerable,
- control,
- controlling,
- crowning,
- directing,
- direction,
- directive,
- directorial,
- directory,
- dominant,
- duly constituted,
- eminent,
- empowered,
- ex officio,
- exordial,
- first,
- focal,
- fore,
- foregoing,
- forehand,
- foremost,
- forward,
- front,
- frontal,
- general,
- governance,
- governing,
- government,
- great,
- greatest,
- guidance,
- guiding,
- handling,
- head,
- heading,
- headmost,
- hegemonic,
- hegemonistic,
- highest,
- husbandry,
- imperative,
- important,
- in ascendancy,
- in charge,
- in chief,
- in the ascendant,
- inaugural,
- influential,
- initial,
- initiatory,
- lead,
- magisterial,
- maiden,
- main,
- management,
- managerial,
- managery,
- managing,
- manipulation,
- master,
- matchless,
- mighty,
- momentous,
- monocratic,
- noted,
- notorious,
- official,
- ordering,
- outstanding,
- overriding,
- overruling,
- paramount,
- peerless,
- pilotage,
- popular,
- potent,
- powerful,
- precedent,
- preceding,
- precessional,
- precursory,
- predominant,
- predominate,
- preeminent,
- prefatory,
- preliminary,
- preludial,
- prelusive,
- premier,
- preparatory,
- prepollent,
- preponderant,
- preponderate,
- prepotent,
- prestigious,
- prevailing,
- prevalent,
- prevenient,
- primal,
- primary,
- prime,
- principal,
- prior,
- proemial,
- prominent,
- propaedeutic,
- puissant,
- ranking,
- regnant,
- regulating,
- regulation,
- regulative,
- regulatory,
- reigning,
- ruling,
- running,
- senior,
- sovereign,
- star,
- steerage,
- steering,
- stellar,
- substantial,
- supereminent,
- superior,
- supreme,
- the conn,
- the helm,
- the wheel,
- topflight,
- topmost,
- totalitarian,
- unsurpassed,
- uppermost,
- weighty
Words containing 'Leading'
- Lead,
- Leaded,
- Leadingly,
- To lead off,
- To lead out,
- in the lead,
- lead off,
- lead on,
- lead to,
- lead up,
- leading off,
- Black lead,
- Coasting lead,
- Corroding lead,
- Hand lead,
- Horn lead,
- Kremnitz lead,
- Krems lead,
- Lead Hill,
- Lead angle,
- Lead arming,
- Lead colic,
- Lead color,
- Lead glance,
- Lead line,
- Lead mill,
- Lead ocher,
- Lead pencil,
- Lead plant,
- Lead protoxide,
- Lead screw,
- Lead soap,
- Lead tree,
- Lead, SD,
- Leading case,
- Leading edge,
- Leading motive,
- Leading note,
- Leading question,
- Leading strings,
- Leading wheel,
- Milled lead,
- Mock lead,
- Pencil lead,
- Pot lead,
- Red lead,
- Sounding lead,
- Sponge lead,
- Spongy lead,
- Sugar of lead,
- To arm the lead,
- To be in leading strings,
- To cast the lead,
- To heave the lead,
- To lead astray,
- To lead by the nose,
- To lead captive,
- To lead the way,
- To return a lead,
- To strike a lead,
- White lead,
- antimonial lead,
- clip lead,
- hard lead,
- jumper lead,
- lead acetate,
- lead arsenate,
- lead astray,
- lead bank,
- lead by the nose,
- lead carbonate,
- lead chromate,
- lead glass,
- lead item,
- lead of the ignition,
- lead ore,
- lead orthoplumbate,
- lead oxide,
- lead plaster,
- lead poisoning,
- lead sheet,
- lead story,
- lead tetraethyl,
- lead tetroxide,
- lead the way,
- lead time,
- lead-in,
- leaded bronze,
- leaded gasoline,
- leaded petrol,
- leading astray,
- leading indicator,
- leading lady,
- leading light,
- leading man,
- leading rein,
- leading tone,
- negative lead,
- pig lead,
- tetraethyl lead,
- Green lead ore,
- Lead Hill, AR,
- Red lead ore,
- South Lead Hill,
- To lead one a dance,
- Yellow lead ore,
- black-lead,
- lead oxide yellow,
- lead-colored,
- lead-coloured,
- lead-free,
- white lead ore,
- Deep-sea lead,
- Red-lead ore,
- South Lead Hill, AR,
- lead-acid accumulator,
- lead-acid battery,
- red-lead putty