load

1 of 2

noun

ˈlōd 

1

a

: the quantity that can be carried at one time by a specified means

especially : a measured quantity of a commodity fixed for each type of carrier

—often used in combination

a boatload of tourists

b

: whatever is put on a person or pack animal to be carried : pack

donkeys with heavy loads

c

: whatever is put in a ship or vehicle or airplane for conveyance : cargo

The ship was carrying a load of automobiles.

especially : a quantity of material assembled or packed as a shipping unit

2

a

: a mass or weight supported by something

branches bent low by their load of fruit

b

: the forces to which a structure is subjected due to superposed weight or to wind pressure on the vertical surfaces

broadly : the forces to which a given object is subjected

Losing weight will lessen the load on your knees.

3

a

: something that weighs down the mind or spirits

took a load off her mind

b

: a burdensome or laborious responsibility

always carried his share of the load

4

slang : an intoxicating amount of liquor drunk

5

: a large quantity : lot

—usually used in plural

The boy had loads of toys.

6

a

: a charge for a firearm

b

: the quantity of material loaded into a device at one time

7

: external resistance overcome by a machine or prime mover

8

a

: power output (as of a power plant) or power consumption (as by a device)

b

: a device to which power is delivered

9

a(1)

: the amount of work that a person carries or is expected to carry

his heavy load of day-to-day work

—New York Times

(2)

: the amount of authorized work to be performed by a machine, a group, a department, or a factory

The washer can take a 10-pound load.

b

: the demand on the operating resources of a system (such as a telephone exchange or a refrigerating apparatus)

10

slang : eyeful

—used in the phrase get a load of

Get a load of his new car.

11

: the amount of a deleterious or pathogenic agent, growth, or substance present in a human or animal body or test sample (as of blood or tissue)

Recent advances in our knowledge about how HIV replicates sprang from new technology able to measure viral load—the level of HIV—in the blood. … The higher a person's viral load, the faster he or she gets sick.

—Discover

In patients with a heavy hepatic tumor load, liver transplantation may prolong useful life.

—Scientific American Medicine Bulletin

Over time the worm load will damage the heart, shortening the dog's life.

—Susan Sharpe

called also burden

12

: an amount added (as to the price of a security or the net premium in insurance) to represent selling expense and profit to the distributor

13

: genetic load

load

2 of 2

verb

loaded; loading; loads

transitive verb

1

a

: to put a load in or on (a vehicle, animal, etc.)

load a truck with packages

workers loading a ship

—often used with up

We loaded up the car with all of our gear.

b

: to place (someone or something) in or on a means of conveyance

load cargo/passengers

We loaded the kids into the car.

2

a

: to encumber or oppress (someone or something) with something heavy, laborious, or disheartening : burden

a company loaded down with debts

b

: to place (something) as a burden or obligation

load more work on him

3

a(1)

: to place or be a material weight or physical stress on (something)

Grapes loaded down the vines.

… without that extra weight in the bed to load the springs and plant the tires on the road, the rear end of the unloaded pickup is free to hop about at will.

—Slaton L. White

(2)

: to increase the weight of (something) by adding something heavy

… the cranes were mounted to a steel plate that was secured to the basement floor and loaded with ballast.

—Richard High

b

technical : to add a substance (such as a mineral salt) to (something) to improve a property (such as texture or fullness)

… a method for preparing loaded paper pulp for use in the manufacture of paper …

—Targeted News Service

c

: to weight or shape (dice) to fall unfairly

d

: to fill (something) with one-sided or prejudicial influences : bias

Large EU states have served notice that they want to alter the majority voting quotas which load the system in favour of smaller states.

—The Times (London)

see also loaded sense 4b

e

: to charge (words, questions, etc.) with multiple meanings (such as emotional associations or hidden implications)

Sometimes, however, intensity loads a word to such an extent that it needs explaining.

—Lidia Vianu

see also loaded sense 4a

f

: to weight (something, such as a test or survey) with factors influencing validity or outcome

… the phrasing of the options was so heavily loaded in favor of closure that it had no research value.

—Tom Kaliche

4

a

: to supply (someone or something) in abundance or excess : heap, pack

load visitors with gifts

loaded their plates with food

—often used with up

After visiting the camp, Ross and Norton … loaded him up with sandwiches.

—Matt Byrne

b

: to put runners on (first, second, and third bases) in baseball

The pitcher loaded the bases by walking three batters.

5

a

: to put a load or charge in (a device or piece of equipment)

load a gun

b

: to place or insert (something) especially as a load in a device or piece of equipment

loaded the clothes into the washing machine

load film in a camera

c

: to cause (a program, data, etc.) to be copied or transferred (as from the Internet or a disk drive) into memory for use or display on a digital device

Load a new program or game onto your hard disk, and you must run an installation program that decompresses the information held on the floppy disks.

—Paul C. Schuytema

d

: to put a supply of funds or resources into (an account, a gift card, etc.)

She was told to go to the Dollar General Store and load a Google Play gift card with $100.

—The Times Reporter (New Philadelphia, Ohio)

6

: to alter (something, such as an alcoholic drink) by adding an adulterant or drug

7

a

: to add a load to (an insurance premium)

b

: to add a sum to (something, such as a selling price) after profits and expenses are accounted for

intransitive verb

1

: to receive a load

waited while the truck finished loading

2

: to put a load on or in a carrier, device, or container

specifically : to insert the charge or cartridge in the chamber of a firearm

… eight men manning gaps between the wagons were trained to fire and load in rotation.

—Richard Rhys Jones

3

: to go or go in as a load

tourists loading onto a bus

4

: to become copied or transferred (as from the Internet or a disk drive) into memory for use or display on a digital device

The app loads quickly.

One of the images won't load.

loader noun

Phrases

load up on

1

: to ingest in usually large amounts

… I found a dozen or more United States senators loading up on fried chicken and champagne.

—H. L. Mencken

2

: to acquire in usually large amounts

loaded up on hot stocks

Synonyms

Noun

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

Verb

• burden
• encumber
• freight
• lade
• laden
• lumber
• saddle
• weight

Examples of load in a Sentence

Noun

He lifted the load onto his shoulders.

She was carrying a heavy load of legal documents in her briefcase.

He picked up a load of firewood and carried it into the house.

The truck was carrying a full load of sand.

Losing weight will lessen the load on your knees.

His death is a heavy load to bear.

Verb

load a truck with packages

Workers were loading and unloading the ships as they came into port.

We loaded up and drove off.

load packages on a truck

We loaded our luggage in the car and drove off.

Workers were loading cargo on the ships.

She loaded the table with all kinds of delicious foods.

load a tape into the VCR

The film didn't load properly.

The bus stopped to load a few more passengers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kara Kramer’s illustrations, filled with the bright colors of the Rubik’s Cube and loads of shapes and geometric patterns, bring a delightful energy to the tale. —Megan Gambino, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024

There’s just loads of people that turn up in a park, and there’s music. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024

Verb

After putting his 7-year-old niece in an upstairs bedroom, Corcoran loaded his semiautomatic rifle and fatally shot his brother, his brother's two friends and Turner. —Joseph Dits, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Dec. 2024

The pigs were safely loaded, watered and fed while on the island. —Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English lod, from Old English lād support, carrying — more at lode

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing load

• carbo-load
• course load
• dead load
• debt load
• front-end load
• front-load
• genetic load
• get a load of
• live load
• load down with
• load factor
• load line
• load of laundry
• load the dice
• load up on
• no-load
• off-load
• spring-load
• take a load off (one's feet)
• take a load off someone's mind
• take a load/weight off someone's mind
• tumor load
• viral load
• worm load

Kids Definition

load

1 of 2 noun

ˈlōd 

1

a

: something taken up and carried

b

: the amount that can be carried at one time

10 loads of sand

—often used in combination

a boatload of tourists

2

: a mass or weight supported by something

the load on a column

3

: something that depresses the mind or spirits

a load of care

4

: a large quantity : lot

—usually used in plural

had loads of fun

5

: a charge for a firearm

6

a

: amount of work done or expected to be done

b

: the demand upon the ability of a system to produce what it is meant to produce

the load on an engine

7

slang : a good look : a full view

—used in the phrase get a load of

load

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to put a load in or on

load a truck

load a gun

loaded my arms with books

b

: to place a weight or burden on

vines loaded down with grapes

load more work on him

c

: to supply abundantly

load a person with honors

d

: to put runners on (first, second, and third base) in baseball

the pitcher loaded the bases by walking three batters

e

: to fill with an often unfair appeal to the emotions

load a question

loaded words

f

: to put something like a load into

load a camera with film

load a disk drive

2

a

: to put or place in, on, or into something as or as if a load

load wood on a truck

load film into a camera

b

: to copy or transfer into a computer's memory

load a program

loader noun

Medical Definition

load

1 of 2 noun

ˈlōd 

1

a

: a mass or weight put on something

b

: the amount of stress put on something

this normal instinctive fear which adds its load to the nervous system

—H. G. Armstrong

c

: an amount of something (as food or water) added to the body or available for use in some physiological process

the cell's response to an increased metabolic load

—Emergency Medicine

2

: the number or quantity (as of patients) to be accommodated or treated

the patient load of physicians in private practice

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

3

: the amount of a deleterious microorganism, parasite, growth, or substance present in a human or animal body

measure viral load in the blood

the worm load in rats

called also burden

4

: genetic load

load

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to put a load in or on

rabbits were loaded with … pyruvate by intravenous injections

—Experiment Station Record

2

: to weight (as a test or experimental situation) with factors influencing validity or outcome

3

: to change by adding an adulterant or drug

patent medicines were loaded with narcotics

—D. W. Maurer & V. H. Vogel

Legal Definition

load

noun

: an amount added (as to the price of a security or the net premium in insurance) to represent selling expense and profit to the distributor compare no-load