leadsman

From the Middle English ledes-man (“a military commander”, “a general”); equivalent to leads (the genitive form of lead: “a leading”, “a directing”, “a guiding”) + man.

• ledës-man

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: lēdzʹmən, IPA^(key): /ˈliːdz.mən/

leadsman (plural leadsmen)

1. (obsolete) lodesman (a leader or guide)

• “†Leadsman¹” listed on page 145 of volume VI, part 1 (L, M) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1908]
    †Leadsman¹. Obs. [f. leads, genitive of Lead sb.² + Man.] A guide, = Lodesman. [¶] c 1510 Gest R. Hode vii. 369 in Child Ballads (1888) III. 74/1, I wyll be your ledës-man, And lede you the way. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres 29 They find their leadsman before them in their due distance.
• “†leadsman¹” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]

leads (the genitive form of lead: “heavy base metal” = the Latin plumbum) + man

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: lĕdzʹmən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɛdzmən/

leadsman (plural leadsmen)

1. (nautical) A sailor who takes soundings with a lead, measuring the depth of water.

• swing the lead
• throw the lead

• “Leadsman²” listed on page 145 of volume VI, part 1 (L, M) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1908]
    Leadsman² (le·dzmăn). [f. gen. of Lead sb.¹ + Man.] The man who ‘heaves’ the lead in taking soundings. [¶; 4 quots.: 1857, 1867, 1875, 1891]
• “leadsman²” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]

• dalesman