/pay"lohd'/ , n.
1. the part of a cargo producing revenue or income, usually expressed in weight.
2. the number of paying passengers, as on an airplane.
3. Aerospace , Mil.
a. the bomb load, warhead, cargo, or passengers of an aircraft, a rocket, missile, etc., for delivery at a target or destination.
b. the total complement of equipment carried by a spacecraft for the performance of a particular mission in space.
c. the explosive energy of the warhead of a missile or of the bomb load of an aircraft: a payload of 50 megatons.
[ 1925-30; PAY 1 + LOAD ]