The load that a cart can carry.
a. 1300. Havelok, 895. A carte lode Of segges, laxes, of playces brode, Of grete laumprees, and of eles.
1626. R. Bernard, Isle of Man, 191. Dauid … that gaue … 3300. Cart-loade of Treasure for the building of the Temple.
1641. S. Marshall, Peace-Offering, 48. Above three and thirtie thousand cartload of silver.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 322. The many thousand cart-loads of earth or sand, taken out of the catacombs.
1870. Emerson, Farming, Wks. (Bohn), III. 61. See what the farmer accomplishes by a cartload of tiles.
b. Often fig. for a large quantity, ‘load,’ ‘heap.’
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 123. Whole cart lodes of complaints and greevances.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (1647), 158. The Anabaptists brought Cart-loads of lyes to maintaine their … opinions.
1789. J. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Expost. Ode, vii. Wks. 1812, II. 230. Of fun you rob him of cart-loads.
