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.

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, a scooter
• Lead climbing
• Lead (curling), a curling position