Charge — Defs

01 v. t. To lay on or impose, as a load, tax, or burden; to load; to fill.

imp. & p. p. Charged; p. pr. & vb. n. Charging

1.
To lay on or impose, as a load, tax, or burden; to load; to fill.
“A carte that charged was with hay.” — Chaucer.

“The charging of children's memories with rules.” — Locke.
2.
To lay on or impose, as a task, duty, or trust; to command, instruct, or exhort with authority; to enjoin; to urge earnestly; as, to charge a jury; to charge the clergy of a diocese; to charge an agent.
“Moses . . . charged you to love the Lord your God.” — Josh. xxii. 5.

“Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition.” — Shak.
3.
To lay on, impose, or make subject to or liable for.
“When land shall be charged by any lien.” — Kent.
4.
To fix or demand as a price; as, he charges two dollars a barrel for apples.
5.
To place something to the account of as a debt; to debit, as, to charge one with goods. Also, to enter upon the debit side of an account; as, to charge a sum to one.
6.
To impute or ascribe; to lay to one's charge.
“No more accuse thy pen, but charge the crime On native sloth and negligence of time.” — Dryden.
7.
To accuse; to make a charge or assertion against (a person or thing); to lay the responsibility (for something said or done) at the door of.
“If he did that wrong you charge him with.” — Tennyson.
8.
To place within or upon any firearm, piece of apparatus or machinery, the quantity it is intended and fitted to hold or bear; to load; to fill; as, to charge a gun; to charge an electrical machine, etc.
“Their battering cannon charged to the mouths.” — Shak.
9.
To ornament with or cause to bear; as, to charge an architectural member with a molding.
10.
To assume as a bearing; as, he charges three roses or; to add to or represent on; as, he charges his shield with three roses or.(Her.)
11.
To call to account; to challenge.[Obs.]
“To charge me to an answer.” — Shak.
12.
To bear down upon; to rush upon; to attack.
“Charged our main battle's front.” — Shak.

Syn. To intrust; command; exhort; instruct; accuse; impeach; arraign. See Accuse.

02 v. i. To make an onset or rush; as, to charge with fixed bayonets.

1.
To make an onset or rush; as, to charge with fixed bayonets.
“Like your heroes of antiquity, he charges in iron.” — Glanvill.

““Charge for the guns!” he said.” — Tennyson.
2.
To demand a price; as, to charge high for goods.
3.
To debit on an account; as, to charge for purchases.
4.
To squat on its belly and be still; -- a command given by a sportsman to a dog.

03 n. A load or burder laid upon a person or thing.

1.
A load or burder laid upon a person or thing.
2.
A person or thing commited or intrusted to the care, custody, or management of another; a trust.
3.
Custody or care of any person, thing, or place; office; responsibility; oversight; obigation; duty.
“'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand.” — Shak.
4.
Heed; care; anxiety; trouble.[Obs.]
5.
Harm.[Obs.]
6.
An order; a mandate or command; an injunction.
“The king gave cherge concerning Absalom.” — 2. Sam. xviii. 5.
7.
An address (esp. an earnest or impressive address) containing instruction or exhortation; as, the charge of a judge to a jury; the charge of a bishop to his clergy.
8.
An accusation of a wrong of offense; allegation; indictment; specification of something alleged.
“The charge of confounding very different classes of phenomena.” — Whewell.
9.
Whatever constitutes a burden on property, as rents, taxes, lines, etc.; costs; expense incurred; -- usually in the plural.
10.
The price demanded for a thing or service.
11.
An entry or a account of that which is due from one party to another; that which is debited in a business transaction; as, a charge in an account book.
12.
That quantity, as of ammunition, electricity, ore, fuel, etc., which any apparatus, as a gun, battery, furnace, machine, etc., is intended to receive and fitted to hold, or which is actually in it at one time
13.
The act of rushing upon, or towards, an enemy; a sudden onset or attack, as of troops, esp. cavalry; hence, the signal for attack; as, to sound the charge.
“Never, in any other war afore, gave the Romans a hotter charge upon the enemies.” — Holland.

“The charge of the light brigade.” — Tennyson.
14.
A position (of a weapon) fitted for attack; as, to bring a weapon to the charge.
15.
A sort of plaster or ointment.(Far.)
16.
A bearing. See Bearing, n., 8.(Her.) See: Bearing
17.
Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also charre. Also: charre
18.
Weight; import; value.
“Many suchlike “as's” of great charge.” — Shak.

Phrases & compounds

Back charge — See under Back, a.

Bursting charge — The charge which bursts a shell, etc.

Charge and discharge — the old mode or form of taking an account before a master in chancery.

Charge sheet — the paper on which are entered at a police station all arrests and accusations.

To sound the charge — to give the signal for an attack.

Syn. Care; custody; trust; management; office; expense; cost; price; assault; attack; onset; injunction; command; order; mandate; instruction; accusation; indictment.