Definition

1. Noun:
   • Goods or products transported by a large vehicle, especially a ship, aircraft, or truck: "Cargo" refers to the load of commercial goods being conveyed for trade or transport.

Usage

• Cargo is an uncountable noun. It refers to the goods collectively, not as individual items.
• It is most commonly used in the context of commercial shipping and aviation.
• Typical structures: , , .

Examples

• The ship's cargo consisted of electronics and clothing.
• The plane was designed to carry heavy cargo.
• They are unloading the cargo from the freighter at the dock.
• The cargo of grain was bound for an overseas market.

Advanced Usage

• "cargo hold": the storage compartment of a ship or aircraft where goods are kept during transport.
  • The valuable cargo was secured in the ship's cargo hold.
• "cargo manifest": an official document listing the contents of a ship's or aircraft's cargo.
  • Customs officials checked the cargo manifest against the actual goods.

Variants and Related Words

• Freight (n): goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft. (Often used interchangeably with "cargo," but "freight" can also refer to the charge for transportation.)
• Shipment (n): a consignment of goods being transported; the act of transporting goods.
• Load (n): a heavy or bulky thing that is being carried or is about to be carried.

Synonyms

• Goods
• Merchandise
• Consignment
• Payload (specifically for aircraft or spacecraft)

Related Phrases

• Cargo ship / Cargo plane / Cargo truck: A vehicle specifically designed for transporting goods.
  • A massive cargo ship entered the harbor.
• Cargo capacity: The maximum amount of goods a vehicle can carry.
  • The new model has a greater cargo capacity.

Idioms

• "Cargo cult": A figurative term originating from anthropology, describing a group that imitates the superficial rituals of another culture (like building mock airstrips) in the hope of receiving material wealth (cargo), without understanding the underlying systems.
  • His approach to business was dismissed as a cargo cult mentality, copying forms without substance.

Noun

1. goods carried by a large vehicle