carload

[ kahr-lohd ]

noun

1. the amount carried by a car, especially a freight car.
2. the legal minimum weight entitling a railroad shipper to a rate carloadrate lower than that charged for less than this weight.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carload¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; car ¹ + load

Example Sentences

Yet shortly after getting my license, I still found myself driving around drunk late one night with a carload of friends—just one of many bad driving choices I made that could have ruined my life or somebody else’s.

From Outside Online

Rather than delivering grain to the starving cities, or necessary war materiel to the front, Russia’s anemic railroad system was clogged by carloads of vodka.

From Time

For the most part, a carload of randy frat boys causes Metro Vice more headaches than the CES crowd.

From The Daily Beast

He recalls calling a meeting when “American Gypsies were flooding in by the carload” to Milwaukee.

From The Daily Beast

A carload of German tourists had been killed the week before; there was nothing to stop them.

From The Daily Beast

I believe they are going to get hauled by the carload in November.

From The Daily Beast

Then they dumped in carload after carload of rock and gravel; but the muskeg absorbed it and waited for more.

From Project Gutenberg

She had a carload of groceries, and I helped her put them in the house.

From Project Gutenberg

Paper could not be obtained for printing, and a carload of brown wrapping paper was used.

From Project Gutenberg

Only low-grade and long haul carload traffic can profitably be concentrated.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor can local business in less than carload lots profitably be concentrated beyond a certain point.

From Project Gutenberg