loading

Etymology

noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The process by which something is loaded.
   The loading of hazardous cargoes is not permitted.
2. (countable) A load, especially in the engineering and electrical engineering senses of force exerted, or electrical current or power supplied.
   I need to recheck the loadings on the external walls.
   The loading on the generators peaks during the early evening.
   Comparing both Regions' 1959 services against those of 1939 an appreciable deceleration is evident. This was due to increased loadings, even though more trains were being run, while on the W.R. in particular the increased volume of freight traffic over the line shared the blame. 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 98
3. (Australia, industrial relations, countable) A hourly pay rate given to a casual employee which is higher than the equivalent full-time or part-time employee's rate, usually paid to compensate for a lack of benefits such as sick leave or annual leave.
4. A weighting or bias.
   We may note with some surprise that the hysteria scale has a positive loading on this factor, i.e. is situated towards the normal rather than the neurotic end. 2013, H. J. Eysenck, Experiments in Personality, volume 2, page 238

verb

1. present participle and gerund of load