payload

noun

pay·​load ˈpā-ˌlōd How to pronounce payload (audio)
plural payloads
1
: the load carried by a vehicle exclusive of what is necessary for its operation
especially : the load carried by an aircraft or spacecraft consisting of people or things (such as passengers or instruments) necessary to the purpose of the flight
NASA's first post-Challenger launching is tentatively set for May 1. Its payload, the NOAA-G weather satellite, will be lofted by an expendable Scout rocket. J. Eberhart
Their objective was to size the airplane according to its intended payload. Clive Irving
2
: the weight of a payload
… the Bronco had a payload of 2000 pounds.Darryl Young
Maximum fuel load is 3,550 pounds, leaving a payload of just 360 pounds with full tanks.J. Mac McClellan
3
: the destructive component carried by a missile or bomb
… they did not fail to realize that a missile powerful enough to put a satellite into orbit could also deliver a nuclear payload to Washington, D.C., or New York, or Chicago, or any major American city.Alex Wellerstein
also : something likened to such a payload
American computer security experts were first to spot another worm whose virus payload was contained within an e-mail that masqueraded as a virus alert from Symantec. Pacific Business News
Thus, a potential pitfall for using adenoviruses as a vaccine delivery system is that a person's immune system may end up responding more to the adenovirus itself than the vaccine's genetic payloadBeth Mole

Examples of payload in a Sentence

The truck is carrying a payload of 2,580 pounds. the space shuttle can carry a maximum payload of approximately 50,000 pounds
Recent Examples on the Web The Navy’s ask that MACE be able to carry a variety of interchangeable payloads and seekers points to multiple applications as well. Eric Tegler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Adcock says the robot’s speed at tasks and ability to handle larger and more diverse types of payloads will also need to increase. Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 On board Odysseus are six science and tech demonstration payloads from NASA, which the space agency paid Intuitive Machines — via a contract worth up to $118 million — to fly to the lunar surface. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 The craft carried six NASA payloads and six commercial payloads – scientific instruments or cargo – to the moon. Mackenzie McCarty, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2024 Odysseus was equipped with six NASA instruments and another six commercial payloads, including small moon sculptures by the artist Jeff Koons, proof-of-concept cloud storage technology, Columbia Sportswear insulation blankets and a small astronomical telescope. William Harwood, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 The mission is being carried out under a contract with NASA, which is paying Intuitive Machines $118 million to fly several of its payloads to the lunar surface and sees the mission as part of its Artemis campaign to return astronauts there. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 The drives installed a payload Mandiant has dubbed explorerps1. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2024 The six navigation and tech experiments in the lander’s payload that will collect data critical for these missions. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payload.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of payload was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near payload

Cite this Entry

“Payload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payload. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

payload

noun
pay·​load ˈpā-ˌlōd How to pronounce payload (audio)
: something (as cargo, passengers, instruments, or explosives) carried by a vehicle in addition to what is necessary for its operation

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