I. ˈlōd noun
Etymology: Middle English lod, from Old English lād support, carrying — more at lode
Date: 12th century
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 boat load of tourists
b. : whatever is put on a person or pack animal to be carried : pack
c. : whatever is put in a ship or vehicle or airplane for conveyance : cargo ; 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
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
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
(2) : the amount of authorized work to be performed by a machine, a group, a department, or a factory
b. : the demand on the operating resources of a system (as a telephone exchange or a refrigerating apparatus)
10. slang : eyeful — used in the phrase get a load of
11. : 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
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
II. verb
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1.
a. : to put a load in or on
load a truck
b. : to place in or on a means of conveyance
load freight
2.
a. : to encumber or oppress with something heavy, laborious, or disheartening : burden
a company load ed down with debts
b. : to place as a burden or obligation
load more work on him
3.
a. : to increase the weight of by adding something heavy
b. : to add a conditioning substance (as a mineral salt) to for body
c. : to weight or shape (dice) to fall unfairly
d. : to pack with one-sided or prejudicial influences : bias
e. : to charge with multiple meanings (as emotional associations or hidden implications)
f. : to weight (as a test) with factors influencing validity or outcome
4.
a. : to supply in abundance or excess : heap , pack
b. : to put runners on (first, second, and third bases) in baseball
5.
a. : to put a load or charge in (a device or piece of equipment)
load a gun
b. : to place or insert especially as a load in a device or piece of equipment
load film in a camera
c. : to copy or transfer (as a program or data) into a computer's memory especially from an external source (as a disk drive or the Internet)
6. : to alter (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 after profits and expenses are accounted for
load ed prices
intransitive verb
1. : to receive a load
2. : to put a load on or in a carrier, device, or container ; especially : to insert the charge or cartridge in the chamber of a firearm
3. : to go or go in as a load
tourists load ing onto a bus
4. : to become loaded into a computer's memory
the program load s quickly
• load·er noun
•
- load up on