Talk:lead

Most of the translations of the verb were entered before I added several definitions. The ones that don't identify which definitions they refer to may need work. Ortonmc 02:12, 16 Nov 2003 (UTC)

merged with translations found on http://elements.vanderkrogt.net/element.php?sym=Pb with permission from the author Polyglot 23:30, 6 Jan 2004 (UTC)

Two noun sections under one etymology
How can that be? __meco 11:21, 12 November 2008 (UTC)


 * It must have been an error in this case; it's evidently been fixed. Equinox ◑ 16:17, 26 April 2015 (UTC)

Past tense
Is lead ever, or ever had been, the past tense of the verb to lead? Aaadddaaammm


 * No, except as a misspelling. Since the metallic element lead is pronounced the same as led, it sometimes happens that someone will misspell led by writing lead. It’s always an error. —Stephen (Talk) 10:31, 11 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Are you sure this spelling was never usual? Because it is standard in "read". And most (or all?) other verbs where  /i:/ is shortened to /e/ also keep the spelling in the past tense, like "dealt", etc. So it's a misspelling today, but it may have been usual in Early Modern English; though I couldn't say that it was. 84.57.154.13 01:34, 2 February 2022 (UTC)
 * The spelling of past-tense read is due to analogy with the present tense; one would etymologically expect red. However, it would be no great surprise to find that some EModE writers analogically extended lead to the past tense in the same way. Given the fluidity of EModE spelling, this wouldn't've been considered "nonstandard", though such a analogical form would've probably only been used by a minority of writers given its failure to survive. Hazarasp (parlement · werkis) 03:15, 2 February 2022 (UTC)

lead from behind
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/lead+from+behind Backinstadiums (talk) 15:56, 21 June 2022 (UTC)

Adjective Use
For the Etymology 2 adjectival use, isn't "lead" as an adjective broader in its domain of use than just music? For example "lead editor," "lead surgeon," etc.? Should we say change then qualifier to indicate that its use is not solely in the domain of music?--216.15.48.194 01:13, 30 September 2022 (UTC)


 * ✅ Equinox ◑ 01:15, 30 September 2022 (UTC)