# payload

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpeɪloʊd/ · frequency rank #18,153

## Definitions
1. That part of a cargo that produces revenue.
2. The total weight of passengers, crew, equipment, and cargo carried by an aircraft or spacecraft.
3. That part of a rocket, missile, propelled stinger, or torpedo that is not concerned with propulsion or guidance, such as a warhead or satellite.
4. The functional part of a computer virus or another type of malware program, rather than the part that spreads it.
5. The actual data in a data stream.

## Etymology
From pay + load. From the early 20th century.

## Common misspellings (10)
`apyload`, `palyoad`, `paylaod`, `paylload`, `payloadd`, `payloda`, `payolad`, `payyload`, `ppayload`, `pyaload`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/payload