payload
payload Lexical Profile
payload Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The part of a vehicle's load, especially an aircraft's or spacecraft's, from which revenue is derived or which is necessary to the purpose of the flight (such as passengers, cargo, or scientific instruments), as opposed to the weight of the vehicle itself.
"The rocket successfully delivered its payload of three communications satellites into low Earth orbit."
In computing and telecommunications, the actual intended message or data in a transmission, as opposed to the metadata, headers, or framing overhead required to route and deliver it.
"The server parses the JSON payload of each incoming request before updating the database."
The explosive warhead or destructive component carried by a missile, torpedo, or military aircraft, or the malicious action performed by a computer virus or malware.
"Security analysts discovered that the phishing email contained a hidden payload designed to encrypt files on the network."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from 'pay' and 'load', originally referring to the revenue-producing part of a vehicle's or aircraft's cargo.