payload
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payload
- /ˈpeɪloʊd/ US
- /ˈpeɪləʊd/ UK
Where it comes from
From pay + load. From the early 20th century.
noun payloads
- That part of a cargo that produces revenue.
- The total weight of passengers, crew, equipment, and cargo carried by an aircraft or spacecraft.
- That part of a rocket, missile, propelled stinger, or torpedo that is not concerned with propulsion or guidance, such as a warhead or satellite. 1990, Dave Mustaine, "Rust in Peace... Polaris", Megadeth, Rust in Peace. I spread disease like a dog / Discharge my payload a mile high / Rotten egg air of death wrestles your nostrils
- The functional part of a computer virus or another type of malware program, rather than the part that spreads it.
- The actual data in a data stream.
- A vehicle, usually a cart, that is escorted by an attacking team and contested by a defending team.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: cargo, freight, shipment, warhead, lading, loading, consignment, load, tonnage, charging, borne, pdu, charge, expense, uploading, upload
Translations
Every language
noun that part of a cargo that produces revenue
| Español | cargamento útil, cargamento cobrable, cargamento cobradero |
|---|---|
| Français | fret, charge utile |
| Deutsch | Nutzlast |
| Русский | полезная нагру́зка poleznaja nagrúzka |
noun the total weight of passengers, crew, equipment and cargo carried by an aircraft or spacecraft
| 中文 | 裝載量 /装载量 zhuāngzàiliàng, 載荷 /载荷 zàihè |
|---|---|
| Français | charge utile |
| Deutsch | Nutzlast |
| Italiano | carico, carico utile |
| Русский | полезная нагру́зка poleznaja nagrúzka |
noun that part of a rocket, missile, or torpedo that is not concerned with propulsion or guidance
| 中文 | 彈頭 /弹头 dàntóu |
|---|---|
| Français | charge utile |
| Deutsch | Nutzlast |
| Русский | боезаря́д bojezarjád, боева́я ча́сть bojevája částʹ |
noun the functional part of a computer virus rather than the part that spreads it
| Français | charge utile |
|---|
noun the actual data in a data stream
| Français | charge utile |
|---|---|
| Italiano | carico utile |
| Русский | полезная нагру́зка poleznaja nagrúzka |
Talk about this word "payload." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/payload. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. payload. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/payload "payload." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/payload.Cite this
@misc{payload_2026,
title = {payload},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/payload},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
