The term LEAD, FOR EXAMPLE can be broken down into two crossword solutions: METAL (5 letters) and PART (4 letters). Lead is a soft, malleable METAL that has been used for centuries in many different applications. It is most commonly used as a roofing material, but it is also used in plumbing, ammunition, and radiation shielding. Lead is also used in the production of car batteries and other electrical components. The PART of lead is its atomic number, 82, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of lead.