Leadbelly lead·belly US/ˈlɛdbɛli/ uncommon noun 1. United States folk singer and composer (1885-1949) SynonymsLedbetterHuddie Leadbetter Related words Broader terms singerguitaristcomposer WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.