[f. LEAD v.1 + -ING1.]
1. The action of LEAD v.2, in various senses.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2866. If ani fische þar-in bigane, Wit leding o þe flum iordane, Þe lijf it es for-don wit stink.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4217. Thurgh ledyng of þe fende He sal even to Ierusalem wende.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 358. No woundir ȝif men gone þikke to helle bi þe leding of suche prelatis.
c. 1440. Three Kings Cologne, 50. Þorwe þe gret mercy of god and ledyng of þis sterre, þei com … in to Ierusalem.
1555. Philpot, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xlix. 157. Through his lovyng and comfortable leading and governance.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., d j b. Hydragogie, demonstrateth the possible leading of Water, by Natures lawe, and by artificiall helpe, from any head to any other place assigned.
1690. Wood, Life, 15 July. So feeble that he could not goe without leading.
1805. Trans. Soc. Arts, XXIII. 35. The filling, leading, and spreading of 2500 carts of compost.
1846. Trench, Mirac., Introd. (1862), 73. Humanity is being carried forward under a mightier leading than its own.
1891. Labour Commission, Gloss., Leading, conveying coals by carts from the pits to the workmen’s houses.
b. with forth, off.
a. 1240. Lofsong, in Cott. Hom., 207. Ich bide þe … bi his ledunge forð, bi al þet me him demde, bi [etc.].
1890. Daily News, 6 Jan., 3/5. The leading off of the rain from the Vomero.
† c. A figure in dancing. Obs.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xxiv. (1737), 105. Coupés, Hops, Leadings, Risings.
d. Light or leading (Milton) = illumination or guidance; hence in Burke’s phrase, men of light and leading (cf. quot. 1596 in 2).
1644. Milton, Jdgm. Bucer, Wks. 1851, IV. 296. I owe no light or leading receiv’d from any man in the discovery of this truth.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., Wks. V. 191. The men of England, the men, I mean, of light and leading, in England.
1846. Disraeli, Sp. Ho. Comm., 15 June. The language that has been used in this House by men of great light and leading.
2. The action of commanding and marching at the head of armed men. † At one’s leading: under one’s command. † Also, ability to command, generalship.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), vi. 20. Ilk ane admyrall sall hafe at his ledyng foure or fyue or sex men of armes.
1411. Rolls of Parlt., III. 650/2. All the Knyghtes and Esquiers and Yomen that had ledynge of men on his partie.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 1285. A hundreth men was at his ledyng still.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., IV. iii. 17. I wonder much, being men of such great leading as you are, That you fore-see not what impediments Drag backe our expedition.
c. 1630. Risdon, Surv. Devon, § 74 (1810), 75. Under the leading of the Lord Walter Manny.
1642. Commiss., in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 529. Commanders for the governing, leading, and commanding of them.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xvii. (1840), 293. They would be absolutely under my leading, as their … captain.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, III. xxiii. His gallant leading won my heart.
1828–40. Tyler, Hist. Scot. (1864), I. 167. The civil government in Scotland, and the leading of its armies, were in the hands of Mar and March.
1878. Simpson, Sch. Shaks., I. 96. A great armada was being prepared which was said to be intended to pass the seas under the leading of Stucley.
1898. United Service Mag., July, 406. The higher leading may go to pieces, and confusion of command may ensue.
† b. Government, rule. Obs.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 820. A nobil knycht had þe leding of þe land.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 579. Than thocht he to have the leding Off all Scotland.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 356. All that land was in hir ledyng.
† c. quasi-concr. The followers of a leader.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 302. Thai that war of his leding … War all ded.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. i. 9. He hadde in his ledyng [Vulg. in comitatu] chares, and rydynge men.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5863. Al the folk of hir leding,… never wist what was fleing.
† 3. Arith. Multiplication. Const. in, into.
c. 1430. Art of Nombryng (E.E.T.S.), 14. Nombre superficial is þat comethe of ledynge of oo nombre into a-nother. Ibid. The solide nombre or cubike is þat þat comythe of double ledynge of nombre in nombre.
4. Lead-mining. (See quots.) Cf. LEADER1 13 c.
1653. Manlove, Lead-Mines, 3. If any … find a Rake, Or sign, or leading to the same.
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., s.v. Break-off, If it happen that it [a vein] break into several Leadings or Strings.
1802. Mawe, Min. Derbyshire, Gloss., Leadings, small sparry veins in the rock.
1829. Glover’s Hist. Derby, I. 65. The branches [of a vein] have a general communication by means of fine slender threads, or leadings, as the miners term them.
5. A directing influence or guidance; esp. a spiritual indication of the proper course of action in any case; a term used by the Quakers.
1889. Mary Catherine Lee, Quaker Girl of Nantucket, 8. Ann Millet, a young person who began to have ‘leadings’ at the age of four years.
6. attrib. and Comb., as leading-cart; leading-block (see quots.); leading-business (Theatr.), the parts usually taken by the leading actor; leading-hose, that section of the hose from which the water is discharged by a fire-engine; leading-rein, a rein to lead a horse or other animal; also fig.; leading-staff, † (a) a staff borne by a commanding officer, a truncheon; (b) a staff to lead a bull by means of a ring through its nose; leading-strap = LEAD sb.2 3 d; † leading-weapon, a weapon serving as a ‘leading-staff’; leading-wire = LEAD sb.2 10 a (b). Also LEADING-STRING.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, Artil. Man. (1862), 317. A *leading block is a fixed pulley, which alters the direction of the power, but does not increase it.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Leading-blocks, the several blocks used for guiding the direction of any purchase, as hook, snatch or tail blocks.
1880. Era Almanack, 95. My First Chapter in *Leading Business.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. & Schm. (1858), 238. An entire sheaf that had fallen from the *‘leading-cart’ at the close of harvest.
1483. Ward. Acc., in Antiq. Rep. (1807), I. 32. And for *ledyng rayns, xxij yerds of broode riban silk.
1826. Scott, Diary, 18 April, in Lockhart. He a boy, of six or seven, was brought to visit me on a pony, a groom holding the leading-rein.
1864. J. Payn, Lost Sir Massingberd, 58. If you had had a leading-rein yourself, Sir Massingberd, at seventeen, it would have been a great deal better for you.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, II. i. 29. In musters and traynings to carie … neither Halbard, neither *leading-staffe [etc.].
1634. Ford, P. Warbeck, III. i. stage direct., Enter King Henrie, his Gorget on, his sword, plume of feathers, leading staffe.
1813. Scott, Trierm., II. xix. And Gyneth then apart he drew; To her his leading-staff resign’d.
1889. T. Hardy, Mayor of Casterbridge, xxix. He ran forward towards the leading-staff, seized it, and wrenched the animal’s head as if he would snap it off.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Sports, I. III. v. 185. If … he [dog] must be steadily dragged along by the *leading-strap.
1622. F. Markham, Bk. War, V. i. 10. To conclude, the Colonell is to bee armed at all points like the Captaine, onely his *Leading-weapon, and Feather-staffe is of a much lesse proportion.
b. with advs., as leading-in, -off, -out; in quots. attrib. (and hardly distinct from ppl. a.)
1876. Preece & Sivewright, Telegraphy, 224. On to the square terminal pole a hollow facing or casing is fixed, down which the *leading-in wires are led.
1884. F. J. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 91. The large amount of power required to drive the *leading off rod.
1895. Thompson & Thomas, Electr. Tab. & Mem., 80. The *leading-out wires of electromagnets.
