loading
Americannoun
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the act of a person or thing that loads.
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that with which something is loaded, burden, or charge.
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Electricity. the process of adding reactance to a telephone circuit, radio antenna, etc.
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Aeronautics. the ratio of the gross weight of an airplane to engine power power loading, wing span span loading, or wing area wing loading.
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Insurance. an addition to the net premium, to cover expenses and allow a margin for contingencies and profit.
noun
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a load or burden; weight
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the addition of an inductance to electrical equipment, such as a transmission line or aerial, to improve its performance See loading coil
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an addition to an insurance premium to cover expenses, provide a safer profit margin, etc
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the ratio of the gross weight of an aircraft to its engine power ( power loading ), wing area ( wing loading ), or some other parameter, or of the gross weight of a helicopter to its rotor disc area ( disc loading )
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psychol the correlation of a factor, such as a personality trait, with a performance score derived from a psychological test
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material, such as china clay or size, added to paper, textiles, or similar materials to produce a smooth surface, increase weight, etc
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a payment made in addition to a basic wage or salary to reward special skills, compensate for unfavourable conditions, etc
Etymology
Origin of loading
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at load, -ing 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.
Loading berths at the Fujairah tanker terminal were suspended, the port and marine management company Inchcape Shipping Services said in a note early Tuesday.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
The first is to make the Loading Bay a permanent "mid-scale" city centre venue, art gallery, 200-seat theatre and performance space.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026
Loading up on evergreen goods isn’t without balance-sheet impacts, primarily the costs to hold it in warehouses, analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025
Loading the arrow with the toes of his right foot, he leans forward to latch the bowstring with a hook attached to his right shoulder.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2024
Loading up on free wood was like gathering manna from heaven, and how could a person be completely cynical about that?
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
