Forms: 1 lád, 3–6 lode, 5 lod, 5–6 lood(e, 6–7 loade, 6– load. β. north. and Sc. 4–9 lade, 5–9 laid, (5 layde). [OE. lád fem., way, course, journey, conveyance, corresp. to OHG. leitâ course, leading, procession (MHG., mod.G. leite), ON. leið way, course:—OTeut. *laiđā (whence *laiđjan to LEAD), related to *līþan to go (OE. líðan, ON. líða). The development of meaning has been influenced by the association of the sb. with LADE v.; in extreme northern dialects this word is not distinguishable from LADE sb.1 The words load and LODE are etymologically identical; the present article includes only those senses in which the mod. spelling is load, and obs. senses akin to these.]
† 1. Carriage. Also, an act of loading. Obs.
c. 1000. Laws Northumbr. Priests, c. 55, in Schmid, Gesetze, 368. Sunnandæʓes cypinge we forbeodað … and ælc weorc, and ælce lade, æʓðer ʓe on wæne ʓe on horse ʓe on byrdene.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2703. Wanne þe barouns it i-knewe what þay in lode hadde.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 310/2. Loode, or caryage, vectura.
1523. Fitzherb., Bk. Husb., § 25. The more hey maye be loded at a lode, and the faster it wyll lye.
2. That which is laid upon a person, beast, or vehicle to be carried; a burden. Also, the amount that usually is or can be carried; e.g., cart-load, horse-load, wagon-load.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 268. Ȝif a miracle nere … heo hefde iturpled mid him, boðe hors & lode, adun into helle grunde.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 187/80. He let nime platus of Ire … wel neiȝ ane cartes lode.
a. 1300. [see CART-LOAD].
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VIII. 467. Thai kest thair ladis doun in hy.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 642. My laid war I laith to lois.
1483. Cath. Angl., 206. A layde, a burdyn.
1582–8. Hist. James VI. (1804), 125. Sundrie cariers baith of hors and laides.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., V. ii. 64. Æneas bare a liuing loade; Nothing so heauy as these woes of mine.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), II. 113. By strapping the load round the shoulders of the person, who is to bear it.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, i. where some halt to rest from heavy loads.
1882. Rep. to Ho. Repr. Prec. Met. U. S., 99. In January, 1881, 11 car-loads from the mine yielded $190.
b. The specific quantity of a substance that it is customary to load at one time; hence, taken as a unit of measure or weight for certain substances.
The equivalence of a load varies considerably according to the locality and to the substance. As a measure, a load of wheat is usually 40 bushels, of lime 64 (in some districts 32) bushels, of timber 50 cubic feet, of hay 36 trusses (= 18 cwt.), of bulrushes 63 bundles, of meal 2 bolls (Sc.). A load of lead ore (in the Peak, Derbyshire) = 9 dishes (see DISH sb. 6 c).
1384–5. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 390. In iij ladys calcis empt.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 2060. Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode.
1409. Durham Acc. Roll, in Eng. Hist. Rev., XIV. 529. xii lodas continentes ccmxl petras ferri.
1458. Nottingham Rec., II. 220. xl. lod de Baseford ston.
1497. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 230. A loode of lyme from Havant.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxliii. 532. Mo then .x. lode of thornes were caryed out to brenne the noble lady.
1550. Crowley, Epigr., 501. A lode [of coals] that of late yeres for a royall was solde.
1570. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), I. 344. Ane laid of quheit, ane laid of beir, ane laid of aitts.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 50. The Load of Lead is 175 ll.
1709. J. Ward, Introd. Math., I. iii. (1734), 37. Nine of those Dishes they [sc. Derbyshire lead-miners] call Load of Ore.
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., M j b. Three Loads five Dishes will be full enough to make up one Ton Weight.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 105. Hay, the Load of 36 Trusses, each Truss 56 lbs.
1825. Cobbett, Rur. Rides, 194. This rick contains … what they call in Hampshire ten loads of wheat, that is to say, fifty quarters, or four hundred bushels.
1887. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, V. 255. The load … at Appleby … is [c. 1700] for peas, rye and wheat 4 bushels, of [sic] barley and bigg 5 bushels.
1887. Cunningham’s Diary (Scot. Hist. Soc.), Introd. 18. Though no longer carried on horseback, a load of meal still means two bolls.
1898. Daily News, 16 June, 7/2. Wheat futures are usually dealt with in ‘loads.’ A load is a thousand quarters.
3. A material object or a force, which acts or is conceived as a weight, clog, or the like.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. ii. 2. Why droopes my Lord like over-ripen’d Corn, Hanging the head at Ceres plenteous load?
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 972. Farr heavier load thy self expect to feel From my prevailing arme. Ibid., V. 59. O fair Plant … with fruit surcharg’d, Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet?
1698. Keill, Exam. Th. Earth (1734), 273. The great River of the Amazons … runs up to the Equator with a vast load of Waters.
1725. N. Robinson, Th. Physick, 260. Bleeding … lessens the additional Quantity of Blood, and removes its Load.
1832–52. I. Murray, in Whistle-Binkie (Scot. Songs), Ser. III. 43. The hazle bushes bend nae mair Beneath the lades that crushed them sair.
1842. A. Combe, Physiol. Digestion (ed. 4), 361. If we eat more than the system requires, the bowels become … weakened by their load.
1852. Beck’s Florist, Dec., 273. The luxuriance and profusion, I may say the loads of bloom.
b. The charge of a fire-arm.
1692. Capt. Smith’s Seaman’s Gram., II. xii. 108. What quantity of Powder will be a sufficient Load for such a Piece.
1813. Sporting Mag., XLII. 141. A gun with but one barrel … will, by a single operation on the trigger, discharge six or eight loads in succession.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Load, the charge of a gun.
c. Electr. The resistance to a dynamo or motor of the machinery which it drives, apart from its own friction.
1895. Thompson & Thomas, Electr. Tab. & Mem., 57. If the dynamo is run at constant speed, the motor also will run of itself at nearly constant speed, whatever its load. Ibid., 82. Lifting Power of Magnets.—The rule is:—Load = a × the square of the cube root of the magnet’s own weight.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 22 May, 2/1. Giving a day-load for traction and power and a night-load for light.
d. Building. The pressure caused by gravity upon a structure or any part of it.
1871. R. S. Ball, Exper. Mechanics, xi. 172. A structure has to support both its own weight and also any load that may be placed upon it. Thus a railway bridge must at all times sustain what is called a permanent load, and frequently, of course, the weight of one or more trains.
1879. Sir G. Scott, Lect. Archit., I. 49. The columns … are … proportioned in thickness to their load, irrespective of their height.
e. Phys. The amount of resistance to be overcome by the contraction of a muscle.
1894. Starling, Elem. Human. Physiol., 94.
4. fig. A burden (of affliction, sin, responsibility, etc.); something that weighs down, oppresses or impedes.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 157. Sharpe Buckingham vnburthens with his tongue, The enuious Load that lyes vpon his heart. Ibid. (1599), Much Ado, V. i. 28. Those that wring vnder the load of sorrow.
c. 1646. Milton, Sonnet on Mrs. C. Thomson. Meekly thou didst resign this earthy load Of Death, call’d Life.
1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., II. 265. Our life’s a load.
1748. Anson’s Voy., Introd. When I consider … of how tedious, and often unintelligible, a load of description it [sc. drawing] would rid them.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 374. And all that freedom’s highest aims can reach, Is but to lay proportion’d loads on each.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), II. xii. 206. From some people … a favour … is a load.
1791. Burns, Lament Earl Glencairn, v. I bear alane my lade o’ care.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 175. So did they give the heir the privilege of laying the load upon the personal estate.
1851. D. Jerrold, St. Giles, xiv. 141. With this thought, a load was lifted from the old man’s heart.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiv. III. 400. His spirit … sank down under the load of public abhorrence.
5. a. As much as one can ‘carry’ of drink; (one’s) fill; phr. † to have (or have taken), to get one’s load, to have a load. Now only dial. and U.S. slang. † b. To give (a person) his load: to beat soundly.
1598. Lodge & Greene, Looking Glass Lond., H 2 b. Ply it till euery man hath tane his load.
1678. Ray, Prov., 87. Proverbiall Periphrases of one drunk…. He has a jagg or load.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, Life Æsop (1708), 16. The Cups went round, and Xanthus by this Time had taken his Load, who was mightily given to talk in his Drink. Ibid., clvii. 173. There are Those that can never Sleep without their Load.
1694. Echard, Plautus, 188. Give him his load so as he shan’t b’ able to find the way home.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. 369. Then we drank,… The General leapt about … a little while; but having his Load soon went to sleep.
1890. Century Dict., s.v., He went home late with a load on.
1902. Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v., To get one’s load, to be drunk.
c. Mech. (See quots.)
1855. Ogilvie, Suppl. s.v., In mech. an engine or other prime mover is said to be loaded when it is working to its full power, and the quantity of work it is then doing is called its load.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Load, the amount of work done by an engine worked up to its capacity. Not to be confounded with duty.
6. Loads († a load): a great quantity or number, ‘lots,’ ‘heaps.’ colloq.
With the earlier quots. cf. CART-LOAD b.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. i. 22. Loades a grauell i’ th’ backe, Lethargies, cold Palsies, and the like.
1655. Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 205. There is a loade of newes.
1852. Clough, Poems, etc. (1869), I. 183. Sunday.—Loads of talk with Emerson all morning.
1860. Mrs. Edkins, Chinese Scenes & People (1863), 73. I was very much pleased to get all the home letters on Monday last…. This mail, I had loads.
† 7. Phrases. a. To lay on load: to deal heavy blows (occas. to lay load about or about one); fig. to speak with emphasis or exaggeration; to emphasize (the fact) that …; to exaggerate, ‘lay it on thick’; also, to be extravagant in expenditure. Also, to lay on load of reproaches. b. To lay load on or upon: to belabor with blows; also fig. to blame, reproach. c. To lay (or cast) the load: to throw the blame. d. To lay on by load: to heap or pile on. Obs.
a. c. 1537. Thersites (Roxb. Club), 51. I wyll … laye on a lode with this lustye clubbe.
1579. Churchyard, Gen. Rehearsal Wars, K j b. He strake diuers of the Almaines … and laiyng loade about hym, he made such waie that the gate was free.
1580. Fulke, Dang. Rock, 169. He layeth on lode, that Luther and Caluines authoritie is not like to Christes.
1586. Warner, Alb. Eng., I. vi. (1589), 19. The Danter then of Trespassers … laies lustie lode about.
1587. Mirr. Mag., Cæsar, xxviii. They fell from wordes to sharpe, and layde on loade amayne.
1589. Nashe, Martins Months Minde, To Rdr., Wks. (Grosart), I. 163. Who being both but newelie come to their Fathers lands and goods,… lay on such loade, and spend al their leudnes so fast.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., IV. ix. 22. So dreadfull strokes each did at other drive, And laid on load with all their might and powre.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., II. iv. (1622), 37. They should … lay on thicke load; and strike at their faces with their swords.
1611. Cotgr., Exaggerer, to exaggerate, aggravate, lay on load.
1613. Day, Festivals, viii. (1615), 234. They lay on load of bitter Reproaches against it.
a. 1620. J. Dyke, Sel. Serm. (1640), 211. Satan will be busie to lay on loade, and to affright a man with Hell and damnation.
1652. C. B. Stapylton, Herodian, VII. 57. They raile and scoff when er’e he comes abroad, And of his lewd behaviour laies on Load.
1677. Miége, Eng.-Fr. Dict., s.v., They laid much load upon that expression, ils exaggererent beaucoup cette expression.
1832. Sir S. Ferguson, Forging of Anchor, 22. Leap out, my masters; leap out and lay on load.
b. [c. 1435: see LADE sb.1]
c. 1550. Wever, Lusty Juventus, D ij. Lay lode on the flesshe, what so euer befal You haue strength Inough to do it with all.
c. 1560. Ingelend, Disobed. Child (1570), F j. [Stage direction] Here the wyfe must laye on lode vppon her Husbande.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron. Eng. (1807), I. 466. They laid load vpon the Romans with their arrowes and darts.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. III. v. The vast thumps of massie hammers noise, That on the groning steel laid on such lode.
1679. Dryden, Œdipus, I. i. Dram. Wks. 1725, IV. 378. Lay load upon the Court; gull ’em with Freedom.
1683. Temple, Mem., Wks. 1731, I. 429. The Dutch began to lay Load upon their Allies, for their Backwardness.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, IX. 1097. Mnestheus lays hard load upon his Helm.
c. a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 251. The load of that marriage was cast on Lord Clarendon. Ibid. (1734), II. 565. It was moved to lay the Load of that Matter on him.
d. 1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1562), 64. He makth you beleue, by lies laide on by lode.
8. attrib. and Comb., as load goods, -hauling, wagon; load-carrying adj.; load displacement, draught, the displacement or draught of a vessel when laden; load factor, the ratio of the average to the maximum amount of work, power, etc., of consumption to production, etc.; † load-horse, a pack-horse; load-line = LOAD-WATER-LINE; † load-man, a man who bears or has charge of a load; † load-mark-line = load-line; load-penny Hist., a market due anciently levied on loads; † load-pin, a bar inserted into the side of a wagon, to increase its capacity; load-rail, -tree, a broad rail fixed across the middle of a certain kind of corn or hay cart. Also LOAD-SADDLE, -WATER.
1611. Cotgr., (1632), Sommier … any toyling, and *load carrying, drudge, or groome.
1895. Westm. Gaz., 14 June, 1/3. The fire-resisting material and the load-carrying material.
1884. Daily News, 9 Oct., 5/7. The Rodney … has a *load-displacement of 9,740 tons. Ibid. (1898), 12 April, 6/6. Her displacement at *load draught will be 15,000 tons.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 916. The *load factor of the heart, the ratio between its average and its maximum work, is ample.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 15 Feb., 4/1. The ‘load factor,’ the proportion between the hours of daily consumption and the productive power.
1890. Daily News, 8 Nov., 5/7. When he left the camp of the Rear Guard he told them that they must not lose their *load goods.
1902. Daily Chron., 16 Jan., 3/2. *Load-hauling and gradient-climbing.
1568. *Loode horse [see LOADER1 1].
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 254. Or *Load or Pack Horses.
1884. H. Spencer, in Pop. Sci. Monthly, XXIV. 727. A compulsory *load-line for merchant-vessels.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 4 June, 8/1. The operation of the load-line tables, which was so dear to the late Mr. Plimsoll.
1901. Scotsman, 5 March, 7/8. Light loadline bill. This bill … provided for the marking of a second load-line … to indicate the minimum depth to which a vessel might be immersed in water when she was in ballast.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VIII. 466. The *layd-men that persauit weill, Thai kest thair ladis doun in hy.
c. 1515. Cocke Lorell’s B., 11. Lode men, and bere brewers.
1717. W. Sutherland, Shipbuild. Assist., 91. The Line a. d. is termed the deep *Load-mark Line.
1883. Green, Conq. Eng., ix. 440. The gift of its [sc. Worcester’s] market-dues, wain-shilling and *load-penny, was the costliest among the many boons which Æthelred and Æthelflæd showered on Bishop Werfrith.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 137. They … putte the shelvinges, and *loade-pinnes, and pike-stowers, of everie waine into her body.
1851. Stephens, Bk. Farm. (ed. 2), II. 357. The *load-rail, 9 inches broad, is convenient to sit upon in driving, and to stand upon when forking the sheaves in unloading. Ibid. The *load-tree or rail.
1659. Hoole, trans. Comenius’ Orbis Sensualium (1672), 173. A Wagon, which is either a Timber-Wagon or a *Load-Wagon.
