2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Someone's leadership is their position or state of being in control of a group of people. □ He praised her leadership during the crisis.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Leadership refers to the qualities that make someone a good leader, or the methods a leader uses to do his or her job. □ What most people want to see is determined, decisive action and firm leadership.
lead-free /le d friː / ADJ Something such as petrol or paint which is lead-free , is made without lead, or has no lead added to it.
lead-in /liː d I n/ (lead-ins ) N‑COUNT A lead-in is something that is said or done as an introduction before the main subject or event, especially before a radio or television programme.
lead|ing ◆◆◇ /liː d I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] The leading person or thing in a particular area is the one which is most important or successful. □ …a leading member of Bristol's Sikh community.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] The leading role in a play or film is the main role. A leading lady or man is an actor who plays this role.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] The leading group, vehicle, or person in a race or procession is the one that is at the front. SYNONYMS leading ADJ 1
top: The President met this afternoon with his top military advisers.
main: …one of the main tourist areas of Amsterdam.
chief: The job went to one of her chief rivals.
major: Exercise has a major part to play in preventing and combating disease.
foremost: He was one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Indian culture.
lea d|ing a r|ti|cle (leading articles )
1 N‑COUNT A leading article in a newspaper is a piece of writing which gives the editor's opinion on an important news item. [BRIT ] in AM, use editorial 2 N‑COUNT A leading article in a newspaper is the most important story in it. [AM ] in BRIT, use lead
lea d|ing e dge N‑SING The leading edge of a particular area of research or development is the area of it that seems most advanced or sophisticated. □ [+ of ] I think Israel tends to be at the leading edge of technological development. ● leading-edge ADJ □ …leading-edge technology.
lea d|ing li ght (leading lights ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a leading light in an organization, campaign, or community, you mean that they are one of the most important, active, enthusiastic, and successful people in it.
lea d|ing que s|tion (leading questions ) N‑COUNT A leading question is expressed in such a way that it suggests what the answer should be.
lead sing|er /liː d s I ŋə r / (lead singers ) N‑COUNT The lead singer of a pop group is the person who sings most of the songs.
lea d time (lead times )
1 N‑COUNT Lead time is the time between the original design or idea for a particular product and its actual production. [BUSINESS ] □ They aim to cut production lead times to under 18 months.
2 N‑COUNT Lead time is the period of time that it takes for goods to be delivered after someone has ordered them. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ on ] Lead times on new equipment orders can run as long as three years.
lead-up /liː d ʌp/ N‑SING The lead-up to an event is the things connected to that event that happen before it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ to ] The lead-up to the wedding was extremely interesting. in AM, usually use run-up
leaf ◆◇◇ /liː f/ (leaves , leafs , leafing , leafed )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft in/into N ] The leaves of a tree or plant are the parts that are flat, thin, and usually green. Many trees and plants lose their leaves in the winter and grow new leaves in the spring. □ [+ of ] In the garden, the leaves of the horse chestnut had already fallen. □ The Japanese maple that stands across the drive had just come into leaf.
2 → see also -leaved
3 N‑COUNT A leaf is one of the pieces of paper of which a book is made. □ [+ of ] He flattened the wrappers and put them between the leaves of his book.
4 PHRASE If you take a leaf from someone's book you behave in the same way as them because you want to be like that person or as successful as they are. □ Maybe we should take a leaf out of Branson's book. It's easy to see how he became a billionaire.
5 PHRASE If you say that you are going to turn over a new leaf , you mean that you are going to start to behave in a better or more acceptable way. □ He realized he was in the wrong and promised to turn over a new leaf.
▸ leaf through PHRASAL VERB If you leaf through something such as a book or magazine, you turn the pages without reading or looking at them very carefully. □ [V P n] Most patients derive enjoyment from leafing through old picture albums.
leaf|less /liː fləs/ ADJ If a tree or plant is leafless , it has no leaves.
leaf|let /liː flət/ (leaflets , leafleting , leafleted )
1 N‑COUNT A leaflet is a little book or a piece of paper containing information about a particular subject. □ [+ on ] Campaigners handed out leaflets on passive smoking.
2 VERB If you leaflet a place, you distribute leaflets there, for example by handing them to people, or by putting them through letter boxes. □ [V n] We've leafleted the university today to try to drum up some support. □ [V ] The only reason we leafleted on the Jewish New Year was because more people than usual go to the synagogue on that day.
lea f mould in AM, use leaf mold N‑UNCOUNT Leaf mould is a substance consisting of decayed leaves that is used to improve the soil.