load

plural loads

1. A burden; a weight to be carried.

   I struggled up the hill with the heavy load in my rucksack.

   Synonyms: charge, freight

2. figurativelyA worry or concern to be endured, especially in the phrase a load off one's mind.

   Our life's a load.

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   I came here with a load and it feels so much lighter, now I’ve met you.

   2005, Coldplay, Green Eyes

3. A certain number of articles or quantity of material that can be transported or processed at one time.

   The truck overturned while carrying a full load of oil.

   1 more example

   She put another load of clothes in the washing machine.

4. A quantity of washing put into a washing machine for a wash cycle.

   I put a load on before we left.

   Synonyms: washload

5. in compoundsUsed to form nouns that indicate a large quantity, often corresponding to the capacity of a vehicle
6. colloquialin pluraloftenA large number or amount.

   I got a load of emails about that.

   1 more example

   I got loads of presents for my birthday!

   Synonyms: abundance, battalion, arseload, assload, bellyload, boatload, brimful, busload

7. The volume of work required to be performed.

   Will our web servers be able to cope with that load?

8. engineeringThe force exerted on a structural component such as a beam, girder, cable etc.

   Each of the cross-members must withstand a tensile load of 1,000 newtons.

9. businessThe electrical current or power delivered by a device.

   I'm worried that the load on that transformer will be too high.

10. engineeringA resistive force encountered by a prime mover when performing work.
11. businessAny component that draws current or power from an electrical circuit.

    Connect a second 24-ohm load across the power supply's output terminals.

12. A unit of measure for various quantities.

    If this load equals its modern representative, it contains 18 cwt. of dry, 19 of new hay.

    1866, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 1, page 172

    Synonyms: fodder, fother, cartload, carrus, charrus

13. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of viral load.
14. A very small explosive inserted as a gag into a cigarette or cigar.
15. The charge of powder for a firearm; a loaded cartridge or round of ammunition.

    With the thought he he arose and removed his rifle from its boot. He looked to its loads and saw that the magazine was full. Then he inspected his revolver.

    1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 79

16. obsoleteWeight or violence of blows.

    Far heavier load thyself expect to feel From my prevailing arm

    1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

17. slangvulgarDefecation.
18. slangvulgarThe contents (e.g. semen) of an ejaculation.

    It felt so good, I wanted to just keep going until I blew a load down his throat, but I hadn't even seen his ass yet, and I sure didn't want to come yet.

    2009, John Butler, Wanderlust, page 35

    1 more example

    Already, Robbie had dumped a load into his dad, and now, before my very eyes, was Alan's own cock lube seeping out of Robbie's crinkled but fleshy sphincter.

    2006, John Patrick, Barely Legal, page 129

    Synonyms: cumwad, wad

19. euphemisticNonsense; rubbish.

    What a load!

20. computingThe process of loading something, i.e. transferring it into memory or over a network, etc.

    All of those uncompressed images are going to slow down the page load.

    1 more example

    This description represents a form of delay slot: the load operation takes some time to complete, say n cycles. Thus, the value loaded only becomes valid n cycles after the load seems to have executed and can therefore only be read after then.

    2009, Daniel Page, A Practical Introduction to Computer Architecture, page 614

21. PhilippinesPrepaid phone credit.

present singular third person loads · participle present loading · past loaded · participle past loaded · archaic participle past loaden

1. transitiveTo put a load on or in (a means of conveyance or a place of storage).

   The dock workers refused to load the ship.

2. transitiveTo place in or on a conveyance or a place of storage.

   The longshoremen loaded the cargo quickly.

   1 more example

   He loaded his stuff into his storage locker.

3. intransitiveTo put a load on something.

   The truck was supposed to leave at dawn, but in fact we spent all morning loading.

4. intransitiveTo receive a load.

   The truck is designed to load easily.

   1 more example

   [I]n his Paroxyſms, as he vvalked the Streets, he vvould have his Pockets loaden vvith Stones, to pelt at the Signs.

   1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section XI. A Tale of a Tub.”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC, pages 203–204

5. intransitiveTo be placed into storage or conveyance.

   The containers load quickly and easily.

6. transitiveTo fill (a firearm or artillery) with munition.

   I pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. I had forgotten to load the gun.

7. transitiveTo insert (an item or items) into an apparatus so as to ready it for operation, such as a reel of film into a camera, sheets of paper into a printer etc.

   Now that you've loaded the camera [with film], you're ready to start shooting.

   1 more example

   Now that you've loaded the film [into the camera], you're ready to start shooting.

8. transitiveTo fill (an apparatus) with raw material.

   The workers loaded the blast furnace with coke and ore.

9. intransitiveTo be put into use in an apparatus.

   The cartridge was designed to load easily.

10. transitivecomputingTo read (data or a program) from a storage medium into computer memory.

    Click OK to load the selected data.

11. intransitivecomputingTo transfer from a storage medium into computer memory.

    The file took ten minutes to load.

    1 more example

    This program takes an age to load.

12. transitiveball gamesTo put runners on first, second and third bases

    He walks to load the bases.

13. transitiveTo tamper with so as to produce a biased outcome.

    You can load the dice in your favour by researching the company before your interview.

    1 more example

    The wording of the ballot paper loaded the vote in favour of the Conservative candidate.

14. transitiveTo ask or adapt a question so that it will be more likely to be answered in a certain way.
15. transitiveTo encumber with something negative, to place as an encumbrance.

    The new owners loaded debt on the company.

    1 more example

    The new owners had loaded the company with debt.

16. transitiveTo provide in abundance.

    He loaded his system with carbs before the marathon.

    1 more example

    He loaded carbs into his system before the marathon.

17. transitiveTo weight (a cane, whip, etc.) with lead or similar.
18. archaicslangtransitiveTo adulterate or drug.

    to load wine

19. archaictransitiveTo magnetize.

    one oscillation of the loaded magnet,

    1877, Charles A. Schott, Notes on Measurements of Terre Arial Magnetism

20. Philippinesto top up or purchase phone credits

plural loads

1. InternetobsoleteA person that spends all day online. The term was originally used in the late 1980s to describe users on free Q-Link (later America Online) accounts who never signed off the system at great expense to the company.

   She never logs off; she is a real LOAD!