loading

American  

[loh-ding] / ˈloʊ dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that loads.

2. that with which something is loaded, burden, or charge.

3. Electricity. the process of adding reactance to a telephone circuit, radio antenna, etc.

4. Aeronautics. the ratio of the gross weight of an airplane to engine power power loading, wing span span loading, or wing area wing loading.

5. Insurance. an addition to the net premium, to cover expenses and allow a margin for contingencies and profit.

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loading British  

/ ˈləʊdɪŋ /

noun

1. a load or burden; weight

2. the addition of an inductance to electrical equipment, such as a transmission line or aerial, to improve its performance See loading coil

3. an addition to an insurance premium to cover expenses, provide a safer profit margin, etc

4. 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 )

5. psychol the correlation of a factor, such as a personality trait, with a performance score derived from a psychological test

6. material, such as china clay or size, added to paper, textiles, or similar materials to produce a smooth surface, increase weight, etc

7. a payment made in addition to a basic wage or salary to reward special skills, compensate for unfavourable conditions, etc

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Etymology

Origin of loading

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; load, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.”

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

"All our notes are on Teams and I was going to finish the second half of my book, and it wasn't loading," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

"Enceladus itself is a key driver of this environment, releasing huge amounts of water vapor that gets ionized, loading the magnetosphere with heavy plasma that is then pulled around as the planet spins."

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Chan cuts Inari’s FY2026-FY2028 earnings estimates by 21%-24% to factor in lower RF loading volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I turn around and see the lady who was loading her dryer earlier.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

Related Words

• packing
• storing