See more synonyms for leader on Thesaurus.com
  1. a person or thing that leads.
  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 rain water 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. lead1(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.

Origin of leader

1250–1300; Middle English leder(e). See lead1, -er1
Related formslead·er·less, adjectivesub·lead·er, noun

Examples from the Web for leader

Contemporary Examples of leader

Historical Examples of leader

  • Mr. Gladstone was hailed everywhere as the leader of the Liberal party.

    The Grand Old Man

    Richard B. Cook

  • On the way the leader explained his system briefly and clearly.

  • Not until he had secured such information did the leader move.

  • The leader had gone with Joe Clune straight for the front car.

  • Such was the leader whom Mr. Gladstone had faithfully followed for many years.

    The Grand Old Man

    Richard B. Cook

British Dictionary definitions for leader


  2. music
    1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): concertmasterthe principal first violinist of an orchestra, who plays solo parts, and acts as the conductor's deputy and spokesman for the orchestra
    2. USa conductor or director of an orchestra or chorus
    1. the first man on a climbing rope
    2. the leading horse or dog in a team
  3. mainly US and Canadian an article offered at a sufficiently low price to attract customersSee also loss leader
  4. a statistic or index that gives an advance indication of the state of the economy
  5. Also called: leading article mainly British the leading editorial in a newspaper
  6. angling another word for trace 2 (def. 2), cast (def. 32a)
  7. nautical another term for fairlead
  8. a strip of blank film or tape used to facilitate threading a projector, developing machine, etc, and to aid identification
  9. (plural) printing rows of dots or hyphens used to guide the reader's eye across a page, as in a table of contents
  10. botany any of the long slender shoots that grow from the stem or branch of a tree: usually removed during pruning
  11. British 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)
  12. the senior barrister, usually a Queen's Counsel, in charge of the conduct of a caseCompare junior (def. 6)
Derived Formsleaderless, adjective

Word Origin and History for leader


Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper