> as lemmas

1631 B. Jonson Staple of Newes ii. ii. 22 in Wks. II I haue read the Elements, And Accidence, and all the leading bookes.

1671 L. Addison W. Barbary 35 A leading Person in that part of the Countrey.

1701 J. Swift Disc. Contests Nobles & Commons iv. 46 I mean, Popular Orators, Tribunes, or as they are now stiled Great Speakers, Leading Men, and the like.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 54. ⁋2 Several of the leading Men of the Sect have a great deal of the cynical Humour in them.

1734 J. Ward Introd. Math. (ed. 6) ii. v. 176 The Solution of such Leading Questions as are in themselves very easie.

1779 E. Burke Corr. (1844) II. 275 That profession [the bar] which is so leading in this country.

1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §117 The great and leading point now to be determined was, whether the house should be rebuilt with stone.

1806 A. Duncan Nelson's Funeral 27 Large sums were given for standing in a cart, in a leading street.

1817 Parl. Deb. 1st Ser. 565 Mr. Brougham..had admitted the leading facts of the great distresses.

1821 W. M. Craig Lect. Drawing iv. 216 The leading events of our sacred history.

1827 L. T. Rede Road to Stage 16 The salary is generally first-rate—at all events next to that of the leading man.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 666 He had not been one of the leading conspirators.

1868 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest II. vii. 161 He had himself..played a leading part in them [commotions].

1874 J. Hatton Clytie (ed. 10) 96 I should have put it down for a leading lady.

1885 J. K. Jerome On Stage 157 Our leading man died suddenly from heart disease.

1898 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. V. 615 Leading physicians both in Germany and America.

1900 Daily News 20 Jan. 6/4 ‘The leading hand in the teak trade’, as Mr. Kipling, père, calls the elephant.

1918 H. Croy How Motion Pictures are Made v. 124 A young man, doubling for a leading lady in a bit of hazardous fire jumping.

1921 King's Regs. R.A.F. 8 The ranks of Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and men of the Royal Air Force..are as follows..Non-Commissioned Officers. Flight Sergeant. Sergeant. Corporal. Men in the Ranks. Leading Aircraftman. Aircraftman.

1939 I. Baird Waste Heritage vii. 88 He hated the way Bette's leading man looked, all slicked-up and Hollywood.

1955 T. H. Pear Eng. Social Differences vi. 159 Leading-hand, charge-hand.