1. To Guide:
* Leading a discussion: The teacher might "lead" a classroom discussion, guiding the students to think critically and share their ideas.
* Leading a reader: A writer can "lead" the reader through a story, using techniques like foreshadowing, character development, and plot structure to guide the reader's understanding and emotions.
2. To Introduce:
* Lead-in sentence or paragraph: A "lead" can be the introductory sentence or paragraph that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for the writing.
3. To Emphasize:
* Leading sentence or phrase: A "lead" sentence or phrase can be the most important part of a sentence, emphasizing the main idea or point.
4. To Be the Most Important:
* Leading character: The "lead" character is the most important character in a story, often the protagonist.
5. To Be the First:
* Leading question: A "lead" question is the first question asked in an interview or survey.
Examples:
* "The opening sentence of the essay is a strong lead." (meaning: introduction)
* "The teacher led the students through a discussion about the novel." (meaning: guide)
* "The lead character in the play is a young woman struggling with her identity." (meaning: most important character)
To better understand the meaning of "lead" in a particular context, pay attention to the surrounding words and the overall purpose of the writing.