underloadedadj.
Not loaded or burdened to capacity; spec. in Geomorphology of a stream: carrying less than the maximum amount of sediment for the given conditions, and eroding its bed.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > stream > [adjective] > underloaded
underloaded1898
society > occupation and work > work > amounts of work > [adjective] > not loaded to capacity
underloaded1964
1898 I. C. Russell River Devel. iv. 68 But if the bottom current is underloaded, the material is carried slowly forward.
1942 O. D. von Engeln Geomorphol. xii. 234 A stream may be underloaded in which case it will ordinarily be downcutting, or it may be loaded to capacity.
1964 K. G. Lockyer Introd. Crit. Path Anal. viii. 70 When too much work is required of a work source, the work source is said to be Overloaded, whilst if too little is needed it is said to be Underloaded.
1970 R. J. Small Study of Landforms ii. 57 At some times streams erode vertically (because they are underloaded), at others they erode laterally (because they are graded), and at others they deposit (when they change from a graded to an overloaded condition).
Derivatives
ˈunderload n. an occurrence or state of being incompletely loaded.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > work > amounts of work > [noun] > work-load > not to capacity
underload1964
1964 K. G. Lockyer Introd. Crit. Path Anal. viii. 76 With experience, a great facility is obtained in viewing a histogram and..assessing whether a ‘peak’ (i.e. an overload) can be toppled into a ‘valley’ (i.e. an under~load) in order to ‘smooth out’ the loading.
1971 Cabinet Maker & Retail Furnisher 24 Sept. 535/1 Unless the home market improves..APV could have..an underload position in some of their factories.
1981 N.Y. Times Mag. 8 Feb. 12/2 Conservatives are foolishly worrying about lithosphere underload.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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adj.1898