n.
Pronunciation: ' l ē -d ə r
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 : something that leads: as a : a primary or terminal shoot of a plant b : TENDON , SINEW c plural : dots or hyphens (as in an index) used to lead the eye horizontally : ELLIPSIS 2 d chiefly British : a newspaper editorial e (1) : something for guiding fish into a trap (2) : a short length of material for attaching the end of a fishing line to a lure or hook f : LOSS LEADER g : something that ranks first h : a blank section at the beginning or end of a reel of film or recorded tape
2 : a person who leads: as a : GUIDE , CONDUCTOR b (1) : a person who directs a military force or unit (2) : a person who has commanding authority or influence c (1) : the principal officer of a British political party (2) : a party member chosen to manage party activities in a legislative body (3) : such a party member presiding over the whole legislative body when the party constitutes a majority d (1) : CONDUCTOR C (2) : a first or principal performer of a group
3 : a horse placed in advance of the other horses of a team
– lead · er · less \ -l ə s \ adjective