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Principal; chief; leading; first; as, the head master of a school; the head man of a tribe; a head chorister; a head cook.

A head or leading man, especially of a village community.

Leading; controlling; ruling; predominant. "Princelike and hegemonical." Fotherby.

Leading to sleep; -- applied to the illusions of one who is half asleep.

Fig.: A misleading influence; a decoy. Scared and guided by the ignis fatuus of popular superstition. Jer. Taylor.

Leading a wicked life. [Obs.]

To have time before pleading; to have delay for mutual adjustment. Blackstone.

Deceiving; deluding; misleading.

Not conclusive; leading to no conclusion; not closing or settling a point in debate, or a doubtful question; as, evidence is inconclusive when it does not exhibit the truth of a disputed case in such a manner as to satisfy the mind, and put an end to debate or doubt. Arguments . . . inconclusive and impertinent. South.…

atter stated by way of explanatory preamble or introduction to the main allegations of a pleading; a leading to.

d Ruhmkorff's coil. -- Induction pipe, port, or valve, a pipe, passageway, or valve, for leading or admitting a fluid to a receiver, as steam to an engine cylinder, or water to a pump. -- Magnetic induction, the action by which magnetic polarity is developed in a body susceptible to magnetic effects when brought unde…

Leading or drawing; persuasive; tempting; -- usually followed by to. A brutish vice, Inductive mainly to the sin of Eve. Milton.

An averment employed in pleading, to point the application of matter otherwise unintelligible; an interpretative parenthesis thrown into quoted matter to explain an obscure word or words; -- as, the plaintiff avers that the defendant said that he (innuendo the plaintiff) was a thief. Wharton.

Passing between; mediating; pleading. [R.] -- In`ter*ced"ent*ly, adv.

Serving to introduce something else; leading to the main subject or business; preliminary; prefatory; as, introductory proceedings; an introductory discourse.

ate, Eccentric, intervolved, yet regular Then most when most irregular they seem. Milton. Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight Against the irregular and wild Glendower. Shak. A flowery meadow through which a clear stream murmured in many irregular meanders. Jones.

Leading to, producing, or relating to, an issue; capable of being made an issue at law. Burrill.

In pleading, a single material point of law or fact depending in the suit, which, being affirmed on the one side and denied on the other, is presented for determination. See General issue, under General, and Feigned issue, under Feigned. Blount. Cowell. At issue, in controversy; disputed; opposing or contesting; hence,…

An oversight in pleading, or the acknowledgment of a mistake or oversight. Blackstone.

An extensive scientific division distinguished by leading or ruling characteristics; a principal division; a department; as, the mineral kingdom. "The animal and vegetable kingdoms." Locke. Animal kingdom. See under Animal. -- Kingdom of God. (a) The universe. (b) That spiritual realm of which God is the acknowledged…