unload

Everyday

1. To unload is to take things off or out of a vehicle, machine or container. tree →
2. To unload a vehicle or machine means to empty it. tree →
3. Informally, to unload your worries means to tell someone about them. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, families unload shopping from the car or unload the dishwasher. Ships and lorries are unloaded at ports. In maths problems, unloading boxes means subtracting them from the total. Phrases: «unload the car», «unload the dishwasher», «unload the shopping».

Examples

• Can you help me unload the shopping from the car? tree →
• It is my job to unload the dishwasher. tree →
• The workers unloaded boxes from the truck. tree →
• The ship was unloaded at the harbour. tree →
• A lorry had 40 boxes and unloaded 15, so 25 were left. tree →
• She unloaded her worries to her best friend. tree →
• They were obliged to unload their cargo, and throw their chests and the dead walruses on the ice. tree →

Note

Regular verb: unloaded, unloading. Opposite: «load». In maths problems, unloading usually means subtract: what is left = start − unloaded.