(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ a vehicle or a container, you put a large quantity of things into it.
The three men seemed to have finished ~ing the truck...
Mr. Dambar had ~ed his plate with lasagne...
They ~ all their equipment into backpacks...
She deposited the ~ed tray.
VERB: V n, V n with n, V n into/onto n, V-ed
•
Load up means the same as ~ .
I’ve just ~ed my truck up...
The giggling couple ~ed up their red sports car and drove off...
We ~ed up carts with all the blankets, bandages, medication, water we could spare...
She ~ed up his collection of vintage wines into crates.
PHRASAL VERB: V n P, V P n (not pron), V P n with n, V P n into/onto n, also V n P with/into/onto n
~ing
...the ~ing of baggage onto international flights.
N-SING: usu the N of n
2.
A ~ is something, usually a large quantity or heavy object, which is being carried.
He drove by with a big ~ of hay...
He was carrying a very heavy ~.
N-COUNT
3.
If you refer to a ~ of people or things or ~s of them, you are emphasizing that there are a lot of them. (INFORMAL)
I’ve got ~s of money...
His people came up with a ~ of embarrassing information...
...a ~ of kids.
QUANT: QUANT of n-uncount/pl-n emphasis
4.
When someone ~s a weapon such as a gun, they put a bullet or missile in it so that it is ready to use.
I knew how to ~ and handle a gun...
He carried a ~ed gun...
VERB: V n, V-ed
5.
To ~ a camera or other piece of equipment means to put film, tape, or data into it so that it is ready to use.
A photographer from the newspaper was ~ing his camera with film...
The data can subsequently be ~ed on a computer for processing.
VERB: V n with n, V n into/onto/on n
6.
You can refer to the amount of work you have to do as a ~.
She’s taking some of the ~ off the secretaries.
N-COUNT
7.
The ~ of a system or piece of equipment, especially a system supplying electricity or a computer, is the extent to which it is being used at a particular time.
An efficient bulb may lighten the ~ of power stations...
Several processors can share the ~ of handling data in a single program.
N-COUNT
8.
The ~ on something is the amount of weight that is pressing down on it or the amount of strain that it is under.
Some of these chairs have flattened feet which spread the ~ on the ground...
High blood pressure imposes an extra ~ on the heart.
N-SING
9.
a ~ off your mind: see mind
see also ~ed