lead by the nose
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lead by the nose
Where it comes from
The figurative senses are metaphorical extensions from the literal sense of leading a livestock animal by grabbing its nose or nose ring (with the latter hooked to a lead) or by pushing its nose into feed or water to encourage it to eat or drink.
verb leads by the nose · leading by the nose · led by the nose
-
To cause to follow blindly.
let him choose well his referendaries , for else he may be led by the nose
Similar: lead around by the nose
- To lead by example and painstaking explanation, as one might do for remedial teaching. We had to lead some users by the nose because they couldn't understand even the simplest instructions.
Translations
Every language
verb Translations
| Español | armar una cancamusa |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 牽著鼻子走 /牵著鼻子走 qiān zhe bízi zǒu |
| Français | mener par le bout du nez |
| Deutsch | an der Nase herumführen |
| Română | duce de nas |
| Русский | води́ть за́ нос vodítʹ zá nos |
Talk about this word "lead by the nose." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lead%20by%20the%20nose. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. lead by the nose. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lead%20by%20the%20nose "lead by the nose." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lead%20by%20the%20nose.Cite this
@misc{lead_by_the_nose_2026,
title = {lead by the nose},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lead%20by%20the%20nose},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
