1) a general term used to indicate the magnitude of a force. bending moment. torque. or pressure applied to a substance or material. 2) cargo; weight to be borne or conveyed.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
load (noun)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
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 into a device at one time - loaded
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
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 loaded 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)
intransitive verb
b) to add a sum to after profits and expenses are accounted for - loaded prices
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 loading onto a bus
4.
to become into a computer's memory - loaded the program loads quickly