Freight, n.
Etymology: [F. fret, OHG. fr merit, reward. See Fraught, n.]
1. That with which anything in fraught or laden for transportation; lading; cargo, especially of a ship, or a car on a railroad, etc.; as, a freight of cotton; a full freight.
2. (Law) (a) The sum paid by a party hiring a ship or part of a ship for the use of what is thus hired. (b) The price paid a common carrier for the carriage of goods. Wharton.
3. Freight transportation, or freight line.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Freight, a.
Employed in the transportation of freight; having to do with freight; as, a freight car. Freight agent, a person employed by a transportation company to receive, forward, or deliver goods. -- Freight car. See under Car. -- Freight train, a railroad train made up of freight cars; -- called in England goods train.
Freight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Freighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Freighting.]
To load with goods, as a ship, or vehicle of any kind, for transporting them from one place to another; to furnish with freight; as, to freight a ship; to freight a car.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for freight; he lists it under load.
Where he writes about it:
A ship's load is called distinctively a cargo, or it may be known as freight or lading. — from load
Freight denotes merchandise in or for transportation and is used largely of transportation or of merchandise transported by rail, which is, in commercial language, said to be "shipped." A load to be fastened upon a horse or mule is called a pack, and the animal is known as a pack-horse or pack-mule. — from load