The amount of cargo that a barge can carry; the full capacity of a barge at one time.
Compound of 'barge' (from Old French barge, possibly from Latin baris) and 'load' (from Old English hlād meaning cargo). The term emerged in English during the medieval period to quantify river and canal transport capacity.
Bargeloads were used to measure industrial trade in pre-industrial Europe—a single bargeload of grain could feed a village for months, making it a crucial unit of commerce before railroads existed.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.