payload

Etymology

From pay + load. From the early 20th century.

noun

1. That part of a cargo that produces revenue.
2. The total weight of passengers, crew, equipment, and cargo carried by an aircraft or spacecraft.
3. 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
4. (computing) The functional part of a computer virus or another type of malware program, rather than the part that spreads it.
5. (communication) The actual data in a data stream.