lead (v.) Copy link Outline I. To guide, conductII. To have the command of troopsIII. To go beforeIV. To prevail uponV. To pass, spendVI. Quasi-intrans., to tend in a certain direction • lead (v.): I. To guide, conduct: dūco, xi, ctum, 3: with ref. to persons, usu. = to take with one (cf. Liv. 21, 1, med., ut duceretur in Hispaniam, "to be taken to Spain"): oft. of milit. movements, Caes.: Liv. (pass.): to l. to prison or execution, in carcerem, ad mortem d., Cic. Fig.: whither pleasure l.s, quo ducit voluptas, Lucr. 2, 258: to l. any one to believe, aliquem ad credendum d., Cic. Tusc. 2, 18, 42. So comps. adduco, to bring to a place (oftener fig.); educo, to l. forth (esp. of milit. movements: Caes.: Cic.: Liv.); reduco, to l. back; produco, to l. forward, into view; circumduco, to l. round; perduco, to l. to the end, to a place appointed; transduco or traduco (esp. as milit. term), to l. over or past; subduco, to l. up (esp. from the rear, or up a hill: milit. term): v. to bring, bring out, forth, etc. II. To have the command of troops: dūco, ducto: v. to command (II., 4). III. To go before: anteeo, praeeo, etc.: v. to go before. IV. To prevail upon: addūco, etc.: v. to induce. V. To pass, spend: Phr.: to l. an honest life, aetatem honeste agere, Cic. Sen. 18, 62; a literary life, aetatem in litteris agere, id. Leg. 2, 1, 3: so with traduco: to spend an idle life, vitam otiosam traducere, Cic. Sen. 23, 82; or with adv. of manner, id. Tusc. 3, 11, 2; (but vitam agere refers simply to the activity of life at any given time; traduco, to the whole of its course): v. to spend. VI. Quasi-intrans., to tend in a certain direction: tendo, tĕtendi, sum and tum, 3: Virg. Aen. 6, 541: Plin. Fig.: that road l.s to heaven, sic itur ad astra, Virg. Aen. 9, 641.