Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Load \Load\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Loaded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Loading}. Loaden is obsolete, and laden belongs to lade.]
   1. To lay a load or burden on or in, as on a horse or in a
      cart; to charge with a load, as a gun; to furnish with a
      lading or cargo, as a ship; hence, to add weight to, so as
      to oppress or embarrass; to heap upon.

            I strive all in vain to load the cart. --Gascoigne.

            I have loaden me with many spoils.    --Shak.

            Those honors deep and broad, wherewith Your majesty
            loads our house.                      --Shak.

Load \Load\, n. [OE. lode load, way; properly the same word as
   lode, but confused with lade, load, v. See {Lade}, {Lead},
   v., {Lode}.]
   1. A burden; that which is laid on or put in anything for
      conveyance; that which is borne or sustained; a weight;
      as, a heavy load.

            He might such a load To town with his ass carry.
                                                  --Gower.

   2. The quantity which can be carried or drawn in some
      specified way; the contents of a cart, barrow, or vessel;
      that which will constitute a cargo; lading.

   3. That which burdens, oppresses, or grieves the mind or
      spirits; as, a load of care. `` A . . . load of guilt.''
      --Ray. `` Our life's a load.'' --Dryden.

   4. A particular measure for certain articles, being as much
      as may be carried at one time by the conveyance commonly
      used for the article measured; as, a load of wood; a load
      of hay; specifically, five quarters.

   5. The charge of a firearm; as, a load of powder.

   6. Weight or violence of blows. [Obs.] --Milton.

   7. (Mach.) The work done by a steam engine or other prime
      mover when working.

   {Load line}, or {Load water line} (Naut.), the line on the
      outside of a vessel indicating the depth to which it sinks
      in the water when loaded.

   Syn: Burden; lading; weight; cargo. See {Burden}.

Source : WordNet®

load
     n 1: weight to be borne or conveyed [syn: {loading}, {burden}]
     2: a quantity that can be processed or transported at one time;
        "the system broke down under excessive loads" [syn: {loading}]
     3: goods carried by a large vehicle [syn: {cargo}, {lading}, {freight},
         {loading}, {payload}, {shipment}, {consignment}]
     4: an amount of alcohol sufficient to intoxicate; "he got a
        load on and started a brawl"
     5: the power output of a generator or power plant
     6: an onerous or difficult concern; "the burden of
        responsibility"; "that's a load off my mind" [syn: {burden},
         {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}, {onus}]
     7: a deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite
        boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks [syn: {lode}]
     8: the front part of a guided missile or rocket or torpedo that
        carries the nuclear or explosive charge or the chemical or
        biological agents [syn: {warhead}, {payload}]
     9: electrical device to which electrical power is delivered

load
     v 1: fill or place a load on; "load a car"; "load the truck with
          hay" [syn: {lade}, {laden}, {load up}]
     2: provide with munition; "He loaded his gun carefully" [syn: {charge}]
     3: put (something) on a structure or conveyance; "load the bags
        onto the trucks"

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

load
     
        1. To copy {data} (often {program} {code} to be {run}) into
        {memory}, possibly {parsing} it somehow in the process.
        E.g. "{WordPerfect} can't load this {RTF} file - are you sure
        it didn't get corrupted in the {download}?"  Opposite of
        {save}.
     
        2. The degree to which a computer, {network}, or other
        resource is used, sometimes expressed as a percentage of the
        maximum available.  E.g. "What kind of CPU load does that
        program give?", "The network's constantly running at 100%
        load".  Sometimes used, by extension, to mean "to increase the
        level of use of a resource".  E.g. "Loading a spreadsheet
        really loads the CPU".  See also: {load balancing}.
     
        3. To {install} a piece of {software} onto a system.
        E.g. "The computer guy is gonna come load Excel on my laptop
        for me".  This usage is widely considered to be incorrect.
     
        (2002-07-02)