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Cargo is the load of materials being transported by a vehicle like a ship, airplane, train, or truck, especially for commercial or professional purposes.

The word cargo is used collectively—it’s a singular noun that refers to a group of items. For example, all of the shipping containers being transported by a ship are its cargo.

Such a ship can be called a cargo ship or a cargo liner. A plane primarily carrying cargo can be called a cargo plane. Such a train is typically called a freight train (freight is a close synonym of cargo). Cargo is often distinguished from other things that the vehicle might be carrying, such as passengers—the distinction is often made between a cargo ship or a cargo plane and a passenger ship or passenger plane.

Cargo is also used as a modifier (adjective) in a lot of terms related to cargo and its transport and storage. The place in a ship or plane where cargo is stored is called the cargo hold. On the space shuttle, the place where equipment is stored is called the cargo bay.

Cargo is sometimes used more casually in nonprofessional contexts. When packing up your car to move or go on vacation, you might say that it’s fully loaded with your cargo, but this is usually intended as a kind of joke. The word can even be used in this way to refer to people, as in A lot of parents like to alert other drivers to their precious cargo with those “baby on board” signs.��

The word cargo is also used in the terms cargo pants and cargo shorts, which have large side pockets (called cargo pockets) designed to be able to carry a lot of stuff. Such pants or shorts are sometimes called cargoes (or cargos), as in I think it’s time for a new pair or cargoes—these have holes in both of the pockets. ��

Example: We’re set to pull out of port as soon as the cargo is secured.

The first records of the word cargo come from the 1600s. It comes from the Spanish cargo, meaning “load,” from the Spanish verb cargar, meaning “to load.” It ultimately comes from the Late Latin verb �����������������, meaning “to load a vehicle.”

This brings up an important point about cargo. A load of items is usually only called cargo when it’s in a vehicle or when it’s being loaded onto or unloaded from a vehicle. Once it’s in a warehouse, for example, it’s not commonly called cargo. Instead, it’s typically referred to as goods or merchandise or other terms, depending on what it is and what it’s for.

What are some other forms related to cargo?

• cargoes (plural
• cargos (plural)

What are some synonyms for cargo?

• freight
• goods
• load
• payload

What are some words that share a root or word element with cargo?��

• cargo liner
• cargo bay
• cargo pants
• cargo pocket
• car

What are some words that often get used in discussing cargo?

• ship
• plane
• container
• bay
• shipment
• merchandise
• hold
• liner
• pants
• shorts
• pocket

Cargo is most commonly used in contexts involving the transport of goods, especially commercial goods being transported in a professional capacity.

UNHAS does not only transport passengers, but also makes sure relief cargo gets where it is most needed.
This week, most recent operation in Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 transported 338 kgs of Health Kits on behalf of from Ouagadougou to Gorom-Gorom. 🚁

— UN Humanitarian Air Service (@WFP_UNHAS)

We're not just a passenger service airport 📦 Carriers transport more than 130 tons of cargo through RDU each day (yes, even now).

Learn more about cargo operations at the airport:

— RDU International Airport (@RDUAirport)

Blackhawks fans were clearly prepared for overtime with all the snacks they can keep in their cargo shorts.

— LA Kings (@LAKings)

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Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of cargo?

A. vehicle
B. load
C. goods
D. payload