cargo
B2Neutral to formal; common in transport, logistics, and business contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Goods carried on a ship, aircraft, or vehicle.
Any large quantity of items being transported, or figuratively, a significant burden or responsibility.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a mass noun (uncountable), though 'cargoes' is a valid plural for multiple shipments. Often implies commercial goods rather than personal luggage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Freight' is a more common synonym in American English for land transport.
Connotations
Similar in both varieties. Slightly more maritime association in British English due to historical usage.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties within relevant contexts (shipping, air transport).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
load/unload + cargocarry + cargotransport + cargocargo + of + [goods]cargo + bound for + [destination]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cargo cult”
- “deadweight cargo”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to commercial goods in transit, crucial for logistics and supply chain discussions.
Academic
Used in economics (trade volumes), history (shipping), and engineering (load calculations).
Everyday
Used when discussing transport, deliveries, or news about ships/planes.
Technical
Specific terms in shipping (e.g., 'break-bulk cargo', 'containerized cargo').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The ship was cargoed with tea and spices.
- They cargoed the supplies at the dock.
American English
- The plane was cargoed with medical supplies.
- We need to cargo these crates by noon.
adverb
British English
- The ship was loaded cargo-wise very efficiently.
American English
- The truck was configured cargo-first for easy unloading.
adjective
British English
- The cargo vessel arrived at the port.
- We inspected the cargo doors on the aircraft.
American English
- The cargo plane made a smooth landing.
- Check the cargo manifest for discrepancies.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The ship has a lot of cargo.
- The cargo is in the truck.
- The cargo of fruit arrived at the port yesterday.
- The plane can carry 20 tonnes of cargo.
- The dangerous cargo was carefully labelled and stored in a separate hold.
- Insurance for the valuable cargo cost a significant amount.
- The illicit cargo was discovered hidden among legitimate shipments of machinery.
- The economic sanctions specifically prohibited the cargo of dual-use technologies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CAR going with GOods – CAR-GO – the goods that go in a vehicle.
Conceptual Metaphor
BURDEN IS WEIGHT (e.g., 'a cargo of guilt'). KNOWLEDGE/IDEAS AS CARGO (e.g., 'the book carries a cargo of wisdom').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'карго' (cargo pants) – in English, 'cargo' alone is not an adjective for clothing.
- Avoid using 'груз' for small personal luggage; 'cargo' is for commercial/large-scale transport.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'cargos' as plural (acceptable but less common than 'cargoes' or uncountable use).
- Using it for passenger luggage (use 'baggage' or 'luggage').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'cargo' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable (e.g., 'The ship carried cargo'). The plural 'cargoes' is used for multiple distinct shipments (e.g., 'The port handles cargoes from around the world').
'Cargo' often emphasizes the goods themselves, especially on ships/planes. 'Freight' is the broader commercial term for transported goods, especially overland. 'Shipment' refers to a specific batch of goods sent at one time.
Yes, but it is rare and mostly technical (e.g., 'to cargo goods'). 'Load', 'ship', or 'transport' are more common verbs.
It's an idiom from anthropology describing a group that ritually imitates the superficial behaviors (like building airstrips) of another culture (who brought cargo) in the belief it will bring wealth, often used metaphorically for empty imitation.
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