self-loadern.
/ˌsɛlfˈləʊdə/, U.S. /ˌsɛlfˈloʊdər/ Originally and chiefly U.S.
1. A rifle, handgun, or other firearm that loads itself automatically, typically from a magazine; a semi-automatic firearm.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > [noun] > type of firearm > repeating or automatic
repeater1838
self-loader1852
automatic1896
autoloader1906
autoloading1906
auto1916
burp gun1945
semi-automatic1964
1852 Daily Union (Washington) 25 Feb. The rifle..may be immediately converted into a self-loader, when it fires from thirty to sixty times in succession, according to the size of the magazine used.
1863 Natchez (Mississippi) Daily Courier 3 Apr. We are losing men fast enough in the Confederacy..without recklessly exposing life and limb by this loose fingering of revolvers, self-loaders, shells and torpedoes.
1926 H. B. C. Pollard Hist. Firearms x. 232 [‘Automatic’ arms] which require a separate trigger pressure for each shot. These comprising all hand firearms should be termed self-loaders.
1989 Los Angeles Times 5 Apr. ii. 6/3 The only practical difference between the modern military style self-loader and its commercial cousin is magazine capacity.
2000 R. Mroz Defensive Shooting for Real-life Encounters iv. 22 One of the things that seems to be a dead issue now is the old battle between the six-gun and the self-loader for the title of ‘best gun’.
2.
a. A vehicle or vessel equipped with a mechanism for the automatic loading of earth, grain, freight, or other materials.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > [noun] > of loads > mechanism for > vehicle or vessel fitted with
self-loader1866
1866 Cedar Valley Times (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 24 May It [sc. the Williams' Excavator] is drawn by one team, is a self-loader, and consequently requires but one man, the driver, to work it.
1921 Manufacturers Rec. 24 Mar. 161 (advt.) Every road builder, contractor, road official or dirt mover should own a fleet of these self-loaders.
1986 N.Y. Times 12 Mar. c18/4 He traveled on a variety of tramp ships and self-loaders, taking pictures of ships and port facilities all over the world.
2007 Bulk Transporter (Nexis) 1 Oct. 40 The newest SuperFlo trailers in the fleet are pneumatic self-loaders.
b. A mechanism forming part of, or fitted to, a truck, crane, etc., which allows automatic loading of earth, grain, freight, or other materials.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > [noun] > of loads > mechanism for
self-loader1909
1909 Monthly Consular & Trade Rep. (U.S. Dept. Commerce & Labor) Nov. 141 Two movable electric cranes carrying at least 4,000 kilos (8,818 pounds) each, with an attachment of a self-loader.
1957 Western Constr. May 137/1 The M-B truck loader is an hydraulically operated self loader adaptable to most trucks.
1988 Air Transport World Oct. 80/3 The DC-10 freighters are equipped with a fold-away ‘self-loader’ at the cargo door that enables them to serve remote airports that lack cargo lifters.
2012 Hort. Week (Nexis) 12 Oct. 51 The 1.8m-wide machines will carry up to 2,000kg and can be fitted with a range of options including self-loader, high tipper,..and hydraulic winch.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, January 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1852