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Charge Charge, n. [F. charge, fr. charger to load. See {Charge}, v. t., and cf. {Cargo}, {Caricature}.] 1. A load or burder laid upon a person or thing. [1913 Webster]

2. A person or thing commited or intrusted to the care, custody, or management of another; a trust. [1913 Webster]

Note: The people of a parish or church are called the charge of the clergyman who is set over them. [1913 Webster]

3. Custody or care of any person, thing, or place; office; responsibility; oversight; obigation; duty. [1913 Webster]

'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. Heed; care; anxiety; trouble. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

5. Harm. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

6. An order; a mandate or command; an injunction. [1913 Webster]

The king gave cherge concerning Absalom. --2. Sam. xviii. 5. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

8. An accusation of a wrong of offense; allegation; indictment; specification of something alleged. [1913 Webster]

The charge of confounding very different classes of phenomena. --Whewell. [1913 Webster]

9. Whatever constitutes a burden on property, as rents, taxes, lines, etc.; costs; expense incurred; -- usually in the plural. [1913 Webster]

10. The price demanded for a thing or service. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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 [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Never, in any other war afore, gave the Romans a hotter charge upon the enemies. --Holland. [1913 Webster]

The charge of the light brigade. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

14. A position (of a weapon) fitted for attack; as, to bring a weapon to the charge. [1913 Webster]

15. (Far.) A sort of plaster or ointment. [1913 Webster]

16. (Her.) A bearing. See {Bearing}, n., 8. [1913 Webster]

17. [Cf. {Charre}.] Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also {charre}. [1913 Webster]

18. Weight; import; value. [1913 Webster]

Many suchlike ``as's'' of great charge. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{Back charge}. See under {Back}, a.

{Bursting charge}. (a) (Mil.) The charge which bursts a shell, etc. (b) (Mining) A small quantity of fine powder to secure the ignition of a charge of coarse powder in blasting.

{Charge and discharge} (Equity Practice), 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. [1913 Webster]