noun
lead
The material inside a pencil that makes marks.
The pencil's lead breaks when she presses too hard.
Etymology
The name of the metal was transferred to the marking material in pencils. Modern pencil lead is graphite-based, but the older material name remains conventional.
More examples
- He replaced the lead in his mechanical pencil.
- Soft lead makes a darker mark.
- There was no lead left inside the pencil.
Forms
lead
Similar words
- graphite
- The actual writing material in an ordinary pencil.