payload

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical

n. the satellite or explosive part that a rocket or missile carries into space or to a target.

n. the functional part of a rocket, missile, or spacecraft that is not involved in propulsion or guidance, such as a satellite or warhead.

“The rocket successfully carried its satellite payload into orbit.”

“Engineers spent months calculating the precise weight of the scientific payload to ensure the rocket could reach the required altitude.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. the actual message or information in a packet of data, not including the technical routing info.

n. the essential data within a transmission unit, excluding overhead information such as headers or metadata.

“The system checks the payload of each packet for errors.”

“By stripping away unnecessary headers, the developers were able to increase the percentage of the payload within each network packet.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. the part of a computer virus that actually does the damage, like deleting files.

n. the component of a malware program that executes the malicious activity, distinct from the code used for spreading or concealment.

“The virus stayed hidden for weeks before releasing its destructive payload.”

“Security researchers identified that the malware's payload was designed to encrypt user files and demand a ransom payment.”