noun

1. something carried or to be carried at one time or in one trip; burden; cargo
2. the amount that can be or usually is carried: a measure of weight or quantity varying with the type of conveyance, often used in combination a carload of coal
3. something carried with difficulty; specif.,
   1. a heavy burden or weight
   2. a great mental or spiritual burden a load off one's mind
4. the weight that a structure bears or the stresses that are put upon it
5. a single charge, as of powder and bullets, for a firearm
6. ☆ the amount of work carried by or assigned to a person, group, etc. the course load of a student, the caseload of a social worker
7. Informal a great amount or number loads of friends
8. Elec.
   1. the amount of power delivered by a generator, motor, etc. or carried by a circuit
   2. a device to which this power is delivered
9. Finance an amount, expressed as a percentage of the net asset value, added to the price of some mutual fund shares to cover sales commissions and other marketing costs
10. Mech. the rate at which work is done by an engine, etc.; specif., the external resistance offered to an engine by the machine that it is operating

Etymology: ME lode < OE lad, a course, way, journey < Gmc *laidō, way < IE base *leit(h)-, to go, leave > lead, ON litha, Goth galeithan, to go: sense infl. by ME laden, lade

transitive verb

1. to put something to be carried into or upon; esp., to fill or cover with as much as can be carried to load a wagon with wheat
2. to put into or upon a carrier to load coal into a truck
3. to weigh down with or as with a heavy load; burden; oppress
4. to supply in large quantities; give much of something to to load a person with honors, a novel loaded with suspense
5. to put a charge of ammunition into (a firearm, etc.)
6. to put (a roll of film or a plate) into (a camera)
7. to add weight to, esp. so as to make one end or one side heavier dice fraudulently loaded to fall with a certain face up
8. to add extra or excessive costs, profits, etc. to to load an expense account
9. to add (an adulterant, filler, etc.) to
10. to phrase (a question, etc.) so as to elicit a desired answer or reaction
11. ☆ Baseball to have or cause to have runners on (first, second, and third bases)
12. Comput. to transfer (a program or data) into main memory from a disk, tape, etc.

intransitive verb

1. to put a charge of ammunition into a firearm
2. to receive a charge of ammunition mortars that load at the muzzle
3. to put on, receive, or take on passengers, goods, fuel, etc. the bus is loading