autoloader
|au-to-load-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈɔːtəˌloʊdər/
🇬🇧
/ˈɔːtəˌləʊdə/
self-loading device
Etymology
'autoloader' originates from modern English, specifically the prefix 'auto-' and the word 'loader', where 'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'load' comes from Old English 'hladan' meaning 'to load.'
'auto-' entered English from Greek via Latin/French, while 'load' evolved from Old English 'hladan' through Middle English forms (e.g. 'loden') to modern 'load'; the compound 'autoloader' was formed in modern English in the 20th century to name devices that load automatically.
Initially the elements meant 'self' (auto-) and 'to load' (load); over time the compound came to be used specifically for mechanical or electronic devices that perform automatic loading, especially in firearms and industrial equipment.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mechanical device used in firearms, artillery, or armored vehicles that automatically feeds and chambers the next round of ammunition.
The tank's autoloader reduced the crew needed to operate the gun.
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Noun 2
a machine or mechanism (in manufacturing, labs, or computing) that automatically loads media, parts, samples, or data into a device or system (e.g., tape autoloader, disk autoloader, sample autoloader).
The lab installed an autoloader to feed samples into the analyzer overnight.
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Last updated: 2025/11/26 15:02