Part 623

5. (Mining) A lode.

6. (Naut.) The course of a rope from end to end.

7. (Steam Engine) The width of port opening which is uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its stroke.

When used alone it means outside lead, or lead for the admission of steam. Inside lead refers to the release or exhaust.

8. (Civil Engineering) the distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment.

9. (Horology) The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet. Saunier.

Lead angle (Steam Engine), the angle which the crank maker with the line of centers, in approaching it, at the instant when the valve opens to admit steam. -- Lead screw (Mach.), the main longitudinal screw of a lathe, which gives the feed motion to the carriage.

Lead"ed (?), a. 1. Fitted with lead; set in lead; as, leaded windows.

2. (Print.) Separated by leads, as the lines of a page.

Lead"en (?), a. 1. Made of lead; of the nature of lead; as, a leaden ball.

2. Like lead in color, etc.; as, a leaden sky.

3. Heavy; dull; sluggish. "Leaden slumber." Shak.

Lead"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, leads or conducts; a guide; a conductor. Especially: (a) One who goes first. (b) One having authority to direct; a chief; a commander. (c) (Mus.) A performer who leads a band or choir in music; also, in an orchestra, the principal violinist; the one who plays at the head of the first violins. (d) (Naut.) A block of hard wood pierced with suitable holes for leading ropes in their proper places. (e) (Mach.) The principal wheel in any kind of machinery. [Obs. or R.] G. Francis. (f) A horse placed in advance of others; one of the forward pair of horses.

He forgot to pull in his leaders, and they gallop away with him at times.

Hare.

(g) A pipe for conducting rain water from a roof to a cistern or to the ground; a conductor. (h) (Fishing) A net for leading fish into a pound, weir, etc.; also, a line of gut, to which the snell of a fly hook is attached. (i) (Mining) A branch or small vein, not important in itself, but indicating the proximity of a better one.

2. The first, or the principal, editorial article in a newspaper; a leading or main editorial article.

3. (Print.) (a) A type having a dot or short row of dots upon its face. (b) pl. a row of dots, periods, or hyphens, used in tables of contents, etc., to lead the eye across a space to the right word or number.

Syn. -- chief; chieftain; commander. See Chief.

Lead"er*ship (?), n. The office of a leader.

Lead"hill*ite (?), n. (Min.) A mineral of a yellowish or greenish white color, consisting of the sulphate and carbonate of lead; -- so called from having been first found at Leadhills, Scotland.

Lead"ing (?), a. Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- Lead"ing*ly, adv.

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 modern music 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. -- 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.

Lead"ing, n. 1. The act of guiding, directing, governing, or enticing; guidance. Shak.

2. Suggestion; hint; example. [Archaic] Bacon.

Lead"man (?), n.; pl. Leadmen (&?;). One who leads a dance.[Obs.] B. Jonson.

Leads"man (?), n.; pl. Leadsmen (&?;). (Naut.) The man who heaves the lead. Totten.

Lead"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A genus of maritime herbs (Plumbago). P. Europæa has lead-colored spots on the leaves, and nearly lead-colored flowers.