cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-(ˌ)gō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods or merchandise conveyed in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight

Dock workers were unloading the ship's cargo.

Synonyms

• burden
• draft
• freight
• haul
• lading
• load
• loading
• payload
• weight

Examples of cargo in a Sentence

The ship was carrying a cargo of crude oil.

we put all of our cargo on the pack animals and began our journey through the canyon

Recent Examples on the Web

Russia is suspected in a plot to place incendiary devices in packages aboard cargo planes bound for the United States and other countries. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

For the Duo, these allow access for driver and passenger, while the Bento sacrifices the rear seat for its cargo box. —Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2024

Russia is behind a plot to plant bombs on cargo planes bound for the U.S. and Canada, a Western official said. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024

That strike disrupted the flow of goods into Canada, with $10.7 billion Canadian dollars ($7.7 billion) worth of cargo held up and diverted elsewhere. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, load, charge, from cargar to load, from Late Latin carricare — more at charge entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cargo

• cargo cult
• cargo pants
• cargo pocket

Kids Definition

cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-ˌgō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods transported in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight