unˈlade, v.
[un-2 4. Cf. OE. onhladan, OHG. intladen, MHG., MLG., G. entladen, MDu. and Du. ontladen.]
To unload.
1. trans. To take a load off (a horse, cart, etc.).
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. xxviii. (Bodl. MS.), Þei leyeþ..þe stikkes and wood bitwene his legges and þies and drawiþ hem home..and vnladeþ and dischargeþ hym þanne. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 103 Thenne they vnladed theyr somers & theyr cartes. 1494 Cov. Leet Bk. 557 To drive his Cart laden with Otes into þe Croschepyng & there to vnlade the seid Cart. 1622 Fletcher Span. Cur. ii. i, I have the mony ready, and I am weary... Pray ye Sir, unlade me. 1695 Congreve Mourn. Muse Alexis 6 Thither, let all th' industrious Bees repair, Unlade their Thighs, and leave their Hony there. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 64 Some arose, and unladed two asses of the creels..they carried. |
| fig. a 1592 T. Watson Tears of Fancie xlii, Vnlade me of the burthen..enuious fates..Haue heapt vpon me. |
b. To take the cargo out of (a ship). Also in
fig. context.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon 525 As they vnladed the ship. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 240 The port..is so..commodious to defraight or vnlade shyppes, as [etc.]. 1586 B. Young Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iv. 194 b, If you thinke..your stomacke will not serue you to vnlade all the ship, let me helpe you. 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. 36 He must cut out large docks and creeks into his text to unlade the foolish frigate of his unseasonable autorities. 1693 Lond. Gaz. No. 2838/2 They are now Unlading her, but the Goods are very much Damnified. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxiv. (1787) II. 443 Fourscore vessels were gradually unladen. 1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 812 He..help'd At lading and unlading the tall barks. 1871 Kingsley At Last ii, Along the beach a market.., with canoes drawn up to be unladen. |
| refl. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. ccc, The vent'rous Merchant..Shall here unlade him, and depart no more. 1860 Geo. Eliot Mill on Fl. i. xii, Where the black ships unlade themselves of their burthens. |
c. To unburthen or relieve by the removal or discharge of something. Chiefly
fig. and
const. of.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 263 b, To unlade you of some cholericke humours. c 1600 Chalkhill Thealma & Cl. (1683) 127 Cattel gan to low Homewards t'unlade their milky bags. 1688 Pulpit-Sayings 29 When a Man unlades himself of all his Sins. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. i. i, Let me unlade my Breast. 1898 Watts-Dunton Aylwin vii. iii, Unlading the mind of the trash previously called knowledge. |
2. To discharge (a cargo, etc.) from a ship.
| 1427–8 Rec. St. Mary at Hill 68 For cariage of ij lode fro Cambregges key, ladyng & vnladyng, xiiij d. 1542–3 Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII, c. 9 §4 That no persone..doo caste or unlade out of any..ship..Balast rubbishe gravell or any other wracke. 1590 Webbe Trav. (Arb.) 19 We vnladed our bourthen at Narre. 1612 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 467 Goodes to be discharged, unladen, or brought in. 1661 Godolphin View Admir. Jurisd. Introd. b 3 b, A Lighter, or Skiff, or the Ships Boat into which part of the Cargo is unladen for the lightning of the Ship. 1722 De Foe Plague (1754) 246 They would not suffer them..to unlade their Goods upon any Terms whatever. 1725 Pope Odyss. xvi. 375 They moor the vessel and unlade the stores. a 1864 Hawthorne Amer. Note-bk. (1868) I. 164 Huge trunks and bandboxes [were] unladed and laded. 1884 Harper's Mag. June 52/1 All cargoes must be unladed between sunrise and sunset. |
b. To discharge or get rid of; to put off or lay down (a burden, etc.); to unpack or bring forth. Chiefly
fig.| 1591 Spenser Daphn. lxx, There will I..the huge burden of my cares vnlade. 1599 Chapman Humorous Days Mirth F 4 b, Forth and vnlade the poyson of thy tongue. 1639 J. Shirley Maid's Rev. ii. i. D 3, Ere you let fall words of welcome, Let me unlade a treasure in your eare. 1812 Crabbe Tales, Arabella 283 When all inquiries had been duly made, Came the kind friend her burthen to unlade. 1821 Lamb Elia i. Imperfect Sympathies, He..unlades his stock of ideas in perfect order. |
3. absol. To discharge a cargo or cargoes.
| 1547 Privy Council Acts (1890) II. 466 If he unladed there, he might cary the vytayles a good wey after by the river. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 567 The ships..were forced to vnlade at Douer. 1666 Lond. Gaz. No. 69/2 A large Swede..is likewise arrived with Deales, and is to unlade in this Harbor. 1774 E. Jacob Faversham 15 Where the great Vessels used to unlade. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 24 Large ships may..lade and unlade close to the ware houses. 1863 Susan Warner Old Helmet xxxv, At Tonga she was detained a week and more, unlading and taking in stores. 1879 Farrar St. Paul II. 405 The wharfs where the barges..were accustomed to unlade. |
b. To discharge a burden, contents, etc. Also
fig.| 1629 Massinger Picture iv. ii, You may safer run vpon The mouth of a cannon, when it is vnlading. 1717 Bullock Wom. a Riddle i. i, What adventure is this you are so full of? come, unlade, unlade. 1862 Goulburn Pers. Relig. iii. viii. (1873) 226 While caravans were unlading or making up their complement of passengers. |
† 4. trans. To discharge (a fire-arm). In
quot. fig.| 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, ccxliii, Thus over⁓charg'd & yet vnwilling to Vnlade Himselfe by the first Match that came. |
Hence
unˈlading ppl. a.| 1607 Chapman Bussy d' Ambois iii. ii. 38 I'll..so thump his liver, That, like a huge unlading Argosy, He shall confess all. |