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Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. 2. A person or thing commited or intrusted to the care, custody, or management of another; a trust. Note: The people of a parish or church are called the charge of the clergyman who is set over them. 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.] --Chaucer. 5. Harm. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 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. (Far.) A soft of plaster or ointment. 16. (Her.) A bearing. See Bearing, n., 8. 17. [Cf. Charre.] Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also charre. 18. Weight; import; value. Many suchlike ``as's'' of great charge. --Shak. 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.