Unload or Offload - What's the difference?

In transitive terms the difference between unload and offload

is that unload is to draw the charge from while offload is to get rid of things, work, or problems by passing them on to someone or something else.

As a noun offload is

the act of offloading something, or diverting it elsewhere.

unload

English

Verb

(en verb)

To remove the load or cargo from (a vehicle, etc.).

to unload''' a ship; to '''unload a camel

To remove (the load or cargo) from a vehicle, etc.

to unload bales of hay from a truck

To deposit one's load or cargo.

* 1998 , Robert A Corbitt, Standard handbook of environmental engineering

Some stations have collection vehicles unload on the floor, using a front loader to push material into the hopper.

(transitive, intransitive, figuratively) To give vent to or express.

* 1984 , John Arlott, David Rayvern Allen, Arlott on cricket: his writings on the game

...who bowled with such fury that he needed beer to give him something to sweat out, and who unloaded his emotions in words as hard as his bowling.

(computing) To remove (something previously loaded) from memory.

* 1993 , Tony Martin, Lisa C Towell, The NewWave agent handbook

When you unload a DLL, the memory and other system resources it is using will become available for use by other applications.

To discharge or pour a liquid.

To get rid of or dispose of.

to unload unprofitable stocks

(slang) To go to the bathroom.

to unload feces

To deliver forcefully.

(slang) To ejaculate, particularly within an orifice

To draw the charge from.

to unload a gun

Derived terms

* unloader

References

* English ergative verbs

offload

English

Alternative forms

* off-load

Verb

(en verb)

to unload

to get rid of things, work, or problems by passing them on to someone or something else

He offloaded the defective car onto an unsuspecting buyer.

Noun

(en noun)

The act of offloading something, or diverting it elsewhere.

* 2013 , Bertrand Dufrasne, ?Bruno Anderson Barbosa, ?Peter Cronauer, IBM System Storage DS8870 Architecture and Implementation

For environments that do not allow FTP traffic out to the Internet, the DS8870 also supports offload of data by using SSL security.

(rugby) The act of passing the ball to a team mate when tackled.

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 16, author=Ben Dirs, title=Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan, work=BBC Sport citation

, passage=Toeava went over unopposed to stretch his side's lead but Japan got on the scoreboard on 56 minutes, wing Hirotoki Onozawa intercepting an attempted offload from Slade, who had a rather flaky game, and running in from the All Blacks' 10m line.}}