cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-(ˌ)gō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods or merchandise conveyed in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight

Dock workers were unloading the ship's cargo.

Synonyms

• burden
• draft
• freight
• haul
• lading
• load
• loading
• payload
• weight

Examples of cargo in a Sentence

The ship was carrying a cargo of crude oil.

we put all of our cargo on the pack animals and began our journey through the canyon

Recent Examples on the Web

If the rear passenger space is modest, the rear cargo space is class leading for a car this size. —James Morris, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

These drones, loaded with an array of seeds, hover over target areas and release their precious cargo. —Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024

The rear cargo area eatures a deep bin behind the third-row seats, enough for a few cases of beer or a few duffel bags. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Already, the space agency relies heavily on SpaceX and other commercial partners to launch its astronauts, cargo and spacecraft to the International Space Station and beyond. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, load, charge, from cargar to load, from Late Latin carricare — more at charge entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cargo

• cargo cult
• cargo pants
• cargo pocket

Kids Definition

cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-ˌgō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods transported in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight