loader

American

[loh-der] / ˈloʊ dər /

noun

a person or thing that loads.
a self-propelled machine with a shovel or bucket at the end of articulated arms, used to raise earth or other material and load it into a dump truck.

loader British

/ ˈləʊdə /

noun

a person who loads a gun or other firearm
(in combination) designating a firearm or machine loaded in a particular way

breech-loader
top-loader
computing a system program that takes a program in a form close to machine code and places it into a memory for execution

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of loader

Middle English loder; load, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is believed that Khormuj has a mechanical loader for moving missiles into the silos on train tracks, instead of on mobile launchers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Festival-goers can compete for the title of best welder, crane operator or backhoe loader -- or be crowned the "Oildorado Queen."

From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025

The work ethic he displayed as a loader on fishing boats also helped establish Walsh as one of the most promising prospects in world boxing.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

Anthony Bilton, 59, was run over by a shovel loader on Atlantic Recycling Limited's site in Cardiff in 2019.

From BBC • Feb. 29, 2024

They reported the rescue team had gotten near the face, but a loader covered by the fall stood in their way and they were trying to pull it out.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023