Leader

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: lead=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Leader, n. 

•  One who, or that which, leads or conducts; a guide; a conductor.  [1913 Webster]

  "He forgot to pull in his leaders, and they gallop away with him at times."
•  The first, or the principal, editorial article in a newspaper; a leading or main editorial article.  [1913 Webster]
•  A type having a dot or short row of dots upon its face.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- chief; chieftain; commander. See Chief.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Leader, n.
1 a a person or thing that leads. b a person followed by others.
2 a the principal player in a music group or of the first violins in an orchestra. b US a conductor of an orchestra.
3 Brit. = leading article.
4 a short strip of non-functioning material at each end of a reel of film or recording tape for connection to the spool.
5 (in full Leader of the House) Brit. a member of the government officially responsible for initiating business in Parliament.
6 a shoot of a plant at the apex of a stem or of the main branch.
7 (in pl.) Printing a series of dots or dashes across the page to guide the eye, esp. in tabulated material.
8 the horse placed at the front in a team or pair.

Derivative

leaderless adj. leadership n.

Etymology

OE l{aelig}dere (as LEAD(1))

THESAURUS

Leader

A per se, AG, DA, KC, Kapellmeister, Mahdi, QC, SSC, US attorney, ace, analysis, ancestor, announcer, antecedent, article, article of commerce, article of merchandise, attorney general, avant-garde, band leader, band major, bandmaster, bell cow, bell mare, bellwether, bidet, big cheese, big wheel, big-timer, bigwig, bone of contention, born leader, boss, buccinator, bushwhacker, captain, carriage horse, cart horse, catechism, cavalry horse, chairman, champion, charismatic leader, chief, chieftain, choirmaster, choragus, civilian, cock, commandant, commander, comment, commentary, commentation, commodity, conductor, corporation lawyer, coryphaeus, court-appointed lawyer, criminal lawyer, critical review, criticism, critique, cross-interrogatory, cross-question, dean, debating point, defense counsel, demand, dignitary, director, district attorney, doyen, doyenne, draft horse, dray horse, driving horse, drug, drum major, duce, editorial, eminence, explorer, feature, feeler, file leader, fill horse, filler, forebear, foregoer, foreman, forerunner, front runner, frontiersman, fugleman, gaffer, general, genius, gigster, gloss, groundbreaker, guide, hack, hackney, harbinger, head, headman, herald, hierarch, high priest, higher-up, honcho, hunter, important person, innovator, inquiry, inspired leader, interrogation, interrogative, interrogatory, issue, item, jument, junior counsel, kingfish, kingpin, laureate, law agent, lead, lead item, lead runner, leader of men, leading article, leading card, leading question, lion, loss leader, luminary, main feature, manager, master, messenger, messiah, moot point, mount, mouthpiece, nonpareil, notability, notice, number one, orchestra leader, pacemaker, pacesetter, pack horse, palfrey, paragon, pathfinder, personage, pilot, pioneer, plow horse, point, point at issue, point in question, pole horse, polo pony, post-horse, precedent, precentor, precursor, predecessor, principal, private attorney, problem, prodigy, product, prosecuting attorney, prosecutor, public prosecutor, publicist, query, question, question at issue, question mark, quodlibet, rector, remark, remount, report, review, rider, riding horse, ringleader, road horse, roadster, rouncy, ruler, running commentary, saddle horse, saddler, scout, seconds, senior, shaft horse, silk, silk gown, solicitor general, special, special pleader, stalking-horse, standard article, standard-bearer, staple, staple item, star, stormy petrel, straw boss, stuff gown, stuff-gownsman, sumpter, sumpter horse, superintendent, superior, superman, superstar, symphonic conductor, the greatest, the most, thill horse, thiller, top dog, topic, torchbearer, trailblazer, trailbreaker, trial balloon, vanguard, vaunt-courier, vendible, vexed question, virtuoso, voortrekker, ware, wheeler, wheelhorse, workhorse, write-up

ROGET THESAURUS

Leader

Dissertation

N dissertation, treatise, essay, thesis, theme, monograph, tract, tractate, tractation, discourse, memoir, disquisition, lecture, sermon, homily, pandect, excursus, commentary, review, critique, criticism, article, leader, leading article, editorial, running commentary, investigation, study, discussion, exposition, commentator, critic, essayist, pamphleteer, discursive, discoursive, disquisitionary, expository.

Precursor

N precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor, forerunner, vancourier, avant-coureur, pioneer, prodrome, prodromos, prodromus, outrider, leader, bellwether, herald, harbinger, foreboding, dawn, avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare, forelooper, foreloper, stalking-horse, voorlooper, voortrekker, prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos, protasis, proemium, prolusion, proem, prolepsis, prolegomena, prefix, introduction, heading, frontispiece, groundwork, preparation, overture, exordium, symphony, premises, prefigurement, omen, precursory, prelusive, prelusory, preludious, proemial, introductory, prefatory, prodromous, inaugural, preliminary, precedent, a precedent embalms a principle.

Director

N director, manager, governor, rector, comptroller, superintendent, supervisor, straw boss, intendant, overseer, overlooker, supercargo, husband, inspector, visitor, ranger, surveyor, aedile, moderator, monitor, taskmaster, master, leader, ringleader, demagogue, corypheus, conductor, fugleman, precentor, bellwether, agitator, caporal, choregus, collector, file leader, flugelman, linkboy, guiding star, adviser, guide, pilot, helmsman, steersman, steermate, wire-puller, driver, whip, Jehu, charioteer, coachman, carman, cabman, postilion, vetturino, muleteer, arriero, teamster, whipper in, head, head man, head center, boss, principal, president, speaker, chair, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, captain, superior, mayor, vice president, prime minister, premier, vizier, grand vizier, eparch, officer, functionary, minister, official, red-tapist, bureaucrat, man in office, Jack in office, office bearer, person in authority, statesman, strategist, legislator, lawgiver, politician, statist, statemonger, Minos, Draco, arbiter, boss, political dictator, board, secretary, secretary of state, Reis Effendi, vicar, steward, factor, agent, bailiff, middleman, foreman, clerk of works, landreeve, factotum, major-domo, seneschal, housekeeper, shepherd, croupier, proctor, procurator, ex officio.

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.

Lawyer

N lawyer, attorney, legal counsel, counsel, counsellor, counsellor at law, attorney at law, jurist, legist, civilian, pundit, publicist, juris consult, legal adviser, advocate, barrister, barrister at law, King's or Queen's counsel, K, C, Q, C, silk gown, leader, sergeant-at-law, bencher, tubman, judge, bar, legal profession, bar association, association of trial lawyers, officer of the court, gentleman of the long robe, junior bar, outer bar, inner bar, equity draftsman, conveyancer, pleader, special pleader, solicitor, proctor, notary, notary public, scrivener, cursitor, writer, writer to the signet, S, S, C, limb of the law, pettifogger, vakil, legal beagle, legal secretary, legal assistant, law student, learned in the law, at the bar, forensic, esquire, esquired, banco regis.