unlade
Very Low / ArchaicArchaic, Literary, Technical (historical)
Definition
Meaning
To remove a load or cargo, especially from a ship or vehicle.
To relieve of a burden or weight; to discharge or unload contents. Historically also used in the past participle 'unladen' to mean not carrying a load.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word has been almost entirely superseded by 'unload'. It is primarily encountered in historical or literary texts, or in the fixed legal/commercial phrase 'laden or unladen' in weight/vehicle regulations. The past participle 'unladen' is more common in such contexts than the base verb.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference; the word is equally archaic in both varieties.
Connotations
Both varieties perceive it as dated. It carries a faintly historical or poetic connotation.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both. 'Unladen' sees marginally more use than the infinitive 'unlade', primarily in legal/technical contexts (e.g., 'unladen weight').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] unlade [Object] from [Location][Subject] unlade [Object]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in modern usage.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually unused. 'Unload' is universal.
Academic
Only in historical analysis of texts.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Limited to the historical term 'unladen weight' in vehicle regulations (though 'unloaded' is now standard).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The crew worked through the night to unlade the tea clipper.
- Regulations required them to unlade the contraband at the customs house.
American English
- The stevedores began to unlade the cotton bales from the hold.
- It took two days to unlade the merchant vessel completely.
adverb
British English
- The ship sat unladen at the dock, waiting for its next charter.
- The wagon arrived unladen, ready for the harvest.
American English
- The barge floated high in the water, being unladen.
- The trucks returned unladen after delivering their shipments.
adjective
British English
- The unladen weight of the lorry was listed on its tax disc.
- An unlade cart is easier for the horse to pull.
American English
- The vehicle's unladen weight determines its registration class.
- They measured the capacity of the unlade freight car.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This word is not taught at A2 level.
- This word is not typically taught at B1 level.
- In the old diary, the sailor wrote about helping to unlade the ship's cargo.
- The term 'unladen weight' is sometimes seen in old vehicle documents.
- The archaic verb 'to unlade' appears in several 18th-century shipping manifests.
- Poets might use 'unlade' to evoke a historical or nautical atmosphere, whereas modern usage demands 'unload'.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the opposite of 'LADE' (to load a ship). UN-LADE means to undo that loading.
Conceptual Metaphor
REMOVING IS LIGHTENING (unlading a ship makes it lighter).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation. The modern Russian equivalent is 'разгружать'. Translating 'unlade' as 'unlade' would be incomprehensible.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in modern speech/writing. Confusing it with 'unlaid' (past tense of 'unlay', as in rope).
- Incorrectly forming the past tense as 'unladed' (historically 'unladed' and 'unladen' are both found).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is a form of the word 'unlade' MOST likely to be encountered today?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is archaic. It was the standard term for 'unload' for centuries but has been completely replaced in modern English.
There is no difference in meaning. 'Unload' is the modern, standard word. 'Unlade' is its historical predecessor.
Yes. 'Unladen' is the past participle of 'unlade', meaning 'having been unloaded'. It survives marginally in fixed phrases like 'unladen weight'.
No, you should not. Using 'unlade' will sound strange or deliberately old-fashioned. Always use 'unload' instead.