leader

[ lee-der ]

noun

1. a person or thing that leads.
2. a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group.
3. Music.
   1. a conductor or director, as of an orchestra, band, or chorus.
   2. the player at the head of the first violins in an orchestra, the principal cornetist in a band, or the principal soprano in a chorus, to whom any incidental solos are usually assigned.
4. a featured article of trade, especially one offered at a low price to attract customers. Compare loss leader.
5. Journalism.
   1. leading article ( def 1 ).
   2. Also called leading article. British. the principal editorial in a newspaper.
6. blank film or tape at the beginning of a length of film or magnetic tape, used for threading a motion-picture camera, tape recorder, etc. Compare trailer ( def 6 ).
7. Angling.
   1. a length of nylon, silkworm gut, wire, or the like, to which the lure or hook is attached.
   2. the net used to direct fish into a weir, pound, etc.
8. a pipe for conveying rainwater downward, as from a roof; downspout.
9. a horse harnessed at the front of a team.
10. leaders, Printing. a row of dots or a short line to lead the eye across a space.
11. Nautical. lead ¹( def 40b ).
12. a duct for conveying warm air from a hot-air furnace to a register or stack.
13. Mining. a thin vein of ore connected with a large vein.

leader

/ ˈliːdə /

noun

1. a person who rules, guides, or inspires others; head
2. music
   1. Also called (esp US and Canadian)concertmaster the principal first violinist of an orchestra, who plays solo parts, and acts as the conductor's deputy and spokesman for the orchestra
   2. a conductor or director of an orchestra or chorus
3. 1. the first man on a climbing rope
   2. the leading horse or dog in a team
4. an article offered at a sufficiently low price to attract customers See also loss leader
5. a statistic or index that gives an advance indication of the state of the economy
6. Also calledleading article the leading editorial in a newspaper
7. angling another word for trace 2 cast
8. nautical another term for fairlead
9. a strip of blank film or tape used to facilitate threading a projector, developing machine, etc, and to aid identification
10. plural printing rows of dots or hyphens used to guide the reader's eye across a page, as in a table of contents
11. botany any of the long slender shoots that grow from the stem or branch of a tree: usually removed during pruning
12. a member of the Government having primary authority in initiating legislative business (esp in the phrases Leader of the House of Commons and Leader of the House of Lords )
13. the senior barrister, usually a Queen's Counsel, in charge of the conduct of a case Compare junior

Derived Forms

• ˈleaderless, adjective

Other Words From

• leader·less adjective
• sub·leader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leader¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English leder(e); lead ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Smith returned to California in “a bad mental spot” — depression runs in his family, he says — but he regained some stability working as a nurse and as a worship leader.

From Los Angeles Times

He has also excluded the State Department and its officials from his calls with foreign leaders.

From Salon

When the Farm Bill extension expired on Sept. 30, leaders from hunger and food justice organizations nationwide raised alarms about the further delays in federal action that the lapse would likely exacerbate.

From Salon

The Sinn Féin deputy leader added that his "strength and courage in the face of illness served as an inspiration to many, as he became a powerful advocate for raising awareness of cancer".

From BBC

He's generally named people he's seen on TV, which I suppose makes sense since that was his only qualification for the presidency and in his mind he's the greatest leader the world has ever known.

From Salon

Related Words

• chief
• commander
• director
• head
• manager
• officer
• ruler