loader

American  

[loh-der] / ˈloʊ dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that loads.

2. 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.

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loader British  

/ ˈləʊdə /

noun

1. a person who loads a gun or other firearm

2. (in combination) designating a firearm or machine loaded in a particular way

   breech-loader

   top-loader

3. computing a system program that takes a program in a form close to machine code and places it into a memory for execution

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Etymology

Origin of loader

Middle English loder; load, -er ¹

Example Sentences

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

Two large pieces of construction equipment — a compact loader called a skid steer and a 20-ton crane used for driving piles into the seafloor — tumbled into the water.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 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

At one point, to reward McCandless with a task that involved slightly more skill, Westerberg attempted to teach him to operate a front-end loader.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer