Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
shipload

shipload

3 2.5
A large amount of goods carried by a ship
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɪpˌloʊd/
translation icon : carga de barco
  • Aboard the SS Manhattan, a shipload of American athletes sails for Hamburg.

But this, this whole shipload of people land on the earth and they are, let me see if I can pronounce this right.

Examples

  • Four shiploads of tea.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • "Four shiploads will suffice for evacuating the base.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Can you imagine the profit from a shipload of this?

    Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)

  • The Navy is scheduled to take delivery of the first shipload in October 2003.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Another man traveled to Marseilles, where he found his prospective wife, the cousin of a friend, in a shipload of refugees who had landed the previous day.

    Academic text (1993)

  • AFTER YESTERDAY'S SHIPLOAD, WE'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY.

    Exodus (1960)

  • That is why during the South China Sea crisis, when we had shiploads of Marines ready to retake Luzon World War II style, the enemy had to honor the threat of amphibious assault.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The cargo ship arrived at the port with a full shipload of fresh fruit and vegetables.

  • After weeks at sea, the ship finally delivered its shipload of supplies to the remote island.

  • The company received a shipload of new machinery to help increase their production capacity.

Synonyms

cargo
vsshipload
537 2.3

Goods carried by a ship, plane, or large vehicle

is the amount that fills a seagoing vessel rather than the goods themselves
load
vsshipload
278 1.1

An amount of things carried at one time, like cargo on a vehicle

is the amount that fills a seagoing vessel specifically
shipment
vsshipload
231 2.3

A load of goods sent together by one truck, plane, or ship

is an amount defined by filling a seagoing vessel rather than a single consignment
payload
vsshipload
  • Specialized
22 6.3

The goods carried by a vehicle like an airplane or truck

is the amount that fills a seagoing vessel rather than the usual carried amount
boatload
vsshipload
4 3.6

The amount of people or goods a ship can carry

is the amount that fills a larger seagoing vessel
lading
vsshipload
  • Specialized
3 8.8

A load of goods carried on a ship, truck, or train

is the amount that fills a seagoing vessel rather than the goods themselves
shipful
vsshipload
  • Archaic
1 8.1

An amount large enough to fill a ship with goods or people

is the same amount but expressed with a different word form
boatful
vsshipload
2.2

A full load of people or things in a boat

is the amount that fills a larger seagoing vessel

Antonyms

emptiness
14 3.6

A space or place that has nothing in it

How Much

shipload
3 2.5
truckload
  • US
45 2.9
cartload
  • Informal
2 3.5
crateful
6.4
handful
81 1.0

Surface Forms

shipload singular
shiploads plural

Morphology

shipload = ship + load (transparent) = ship + load

The meaning is directly compositional: a load of cargo or people that fills a ship.

Etymology

The word shipload comes from the two simple words ship and load, where load means 'things carried' and a shipload is a 'load' that fills a ship. That's why we use shipload to mean a very large amount of cargo or people.