Load

King James Dictionary

LOAD, n. See lade.

1. A burden that which is laid on or put in any thing for conveyance. Thus we lay a load on a beat or on a man's shoulders, or on a cart or wagon and we say, a light load, heavy load. A load then is indefinite in quantity or weight. But by usage, in some cases, the word has a more definite signification, and expresses a certain quantity or weight, or as much as is usually carried, or as can be well sustained. Load is never used for the cargo of a ship this is called loading, lading, freight, or cargo. 2. Any heavy burden a large quantity borne or sustained. a tree may be said to have a load of fruit upon it. 3. That which is borne with pain or difficulty a grievous weight encumbrance in a literal sense.

Jove lightened of its load th' enormous mass -

In a figurative sense, we say, a load of care or grief a load of guilt or crimes.

4. Weight or violence of blows. 5. A quantity of food or drink that oppresses, or as much as can be borne. 6. Among miners, the quantity of nine dishes of ore, each dish being about half a hundred weight.

LOAD, pret. and pp. loaded. loaden, formerly used, is obsolete and laden belongs to lade. Load, from the noun, is a regular verb.

1. To lay on a burden to put on or in something to be carried, or as much as can be carried as, to load a camel or a horse to load a cart or wagon. To load a gun, is to charge, or to put in a sufficient quantity of powder, or powder and ball or shot. 2. To encumber to lay on or put in that which is borne with pain or difficulty in a literal sense, as to load the stomach with meat or in a figurative sense, as to load the mind or memory. 3. To make heavy by something added or appended.

Thy dreadful vow, loaden with death -

So in a literal sense, to load a whip.

4. To bestow or confer on in great abundance as, to load one with honors to load with reproaches.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

Maśśâ' ( מַשָּׂא , Strong'S #4853), “load; burden; tribute; delight.” The 43 occurrences of this word are scattered throughout the periods of biblical Hebrew.

The word means that which is borne by a man, an ass, a mule, or a camel: “If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him …” (Exod. 23:5—the first occurrence). A “load” may be hung on a peg (Isa. 22:25). This word is used figuratively of spiritual “loads” one is carrying: “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4).

Maśśâ' means “burden” in the sense of something burdensome, a hardship. Moses asked God: “… Wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?” (Num. 11:11).

Once the word represents that which is borne to a lord, a “tribute”: “Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver …” (2 Chron. 17:11).

In Ezek. 24:25 maśśâ' bears a unique meaning: “Will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes, and their heart’s delight [or, the longing of their soul], their sons and their daughters … (NASB).

Maśśâ' ( מַשָּׂא , Strong'S #4853), “utterance; oracle.” This noun, closely related to the above noun, is used 21 times. Maśśâ' means “utterance” or “oracle”: “For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the Lord uttered this oracle against him” (2 Kings 9:25, RSV). In Jer. 23:33-38 the word appears to connote both a burden and an oracle.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v.) That which burdens, oppresses, or grieves the mind or spirits; as, a load of care.

(2): ( v.) A burden; that which is laid on or put in anything for conveyance; that which is borne or sustained; a weight; as, a heavy load.

(3): ( v.) The quantity which can be carried or drawn in some specified way; the contents of a cart, barrow, or vessel; that which will constitute a cargo; lading.

(4): ( v.) The work done by a steam engine or other prime mover when working.

(5): ( v.) A particular measure for certain articles, being as much as may be carried at one time by the conveyance commonly used for the article measured; as, a load of wood; a load of hay; specifically, five quarters.

(6): ( v. t.) To magnetize.

(7): ( v. t.) To adulterate or drug; as, to load wine.

(8): ( v. t.) To lay a load or burden on or in, as on a horse or in a cart; to charge with a load, as a gun; to furnish with a lading or cargo, as a ship; hence, to add weight to, so as to oppress or embarrass; to heap upon.

(9): ( v.) The charge of a firearm; as, a load of powder.

(10): ( v.) Weight or violence of blows.