The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lading \Lad"ing\, n.
   1. The act of loading.
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   2. That which lades or constitutes a load or cargo; freight;
      burden; as, the lading of a ship.
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   Bill of lading. See under Bill.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bill \Bill\, n. [OE. bill, bille, fr. LL. billa (or OF. bille),
   for L. bulla anything rounded, LL., seal, stamp, letter,
   edict, roll; cf. F. bille a ball, prob. fr. Ger.; cf. MHG.
   bickel, D. bikkel, dice. Cf. Bull papal edict, Billet a
   paper.]
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   1. (Law) A declaration made in writing, stating some wrong
      the complainant has suffered from the defendant, or a
      fault committed by some person against a law.
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   2. A writing binding the signer or signers to pay a certain
      sum at a future day or on demand, with or without
      interest, as may be stated in the document. [Eng.]
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   Note: In the United States, it is usually called a note, a
         note of hand, or a promissory note.
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   3. A form or draft of a law, presented to a legislature for
      enactment; a proposed or projected law.
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   4. A paper, written or printed, and posted up or given away,
      to advertise something, as a lecture, a play, or the sale
      of goods; a placard; a poster; a handbill.
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            She put up the bill in her parlor window. --Dickens.
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   5. An account of goods sold, services rendered, or work done,
      with the price or charge; a statement of a creditor's
      claim, in gross or by items; as, a grocer's bill.
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   6. Any paper, containing a statement of particulars; as, a
      bill of charges or expenditures; a weekly bill of
      mortality; a bill of fare, etc.
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   Bill of adventure. See under Adventure.

   Bill of costs, a statement of the items which form the
      total amount of the costs of a party to a suit or action.


   Bill of credit.
      (a) Within the constitution of the United States, a paper
          issued by a State, on the mere faith and credit of the
          State, and designed to circulate as money. No State
          shall "emit bills of credit." --U. S. Const. --Peters.
          --Wharton. --Bouvier
      (b) Among merchants, a letter sent by an agent or other
          person to a merchant, desiring him to give credit to
          the bearer for goods or money.

   Bill of divorce, in the Jewish law, a writing given by the
      husband to the wife, by which the marriage relation was
      dissolved. --Jer. iii. 8.

   Bill of entry, a written account of goods entered at the
      customhouse, whether imported or intended for exportation.


   Bill of exceptions. See under Exception.

   Bill of exchange (Com.), a written order or request from
      one person or house to another, desiring the latter to pay
      to some person designated a certain sum of money therein
      generally is, and, to be negotiable, must be, made payable
      to order or to bearer. So also the order generally
      expresses a specified time of payment, and that it is
      drawn for value. The person who draws the bill is called
      the drawer, the person on whom it is drawn is, before
      acceptance, called the drawee, -- after acceptance, the
      acceptor; the person to whom the money is directed to be
      paid is called the payee. The person making the order may
      himself be the payee. The bill itself is frequently called
      a draft. See Exchange. --Chitty.

   Bill of fare, a written or printed enumeration of the
      dishes served at a public table, or of the dishes (with
      prices annexed) which may be ordered at a restaurant, etc.


   Bill of health, a certificate from the proper authorities
      as to the state of health of a ship's company at the time
      of her leaving port.

   Bill of indictment, a written accusation lawfully presented
      to a grand jury. If the jury consider the evidence
      sufficient to support the accusation, they indorse it "A
      true bill," otherwise they write upon it "Not a true
      bill," or "Not found," or "Ignoramus", or "Ignored."

   Bill of lading, a written account of goods shipped by any
      person, signed by the agent of the owner of the vessel, or
      by its master, acknowledging the receipt of the goods, and
      promising to deliver them safe at the place directed,
      dangers of the sea excepted. It is usual for the master to
      sign two, three, or four copies of the bill; one of which
      he keeps in possession, one is kept by the shipper, and
      one is sent to the consignee of the goods.

   Bill of mortality, an official statement of the number of
      deaths in a place or district within a given time; also, a
      district required to be covered by such statement; as, a
      place within the bills of mortality of London.

   Bill of pains and penalties, a special act of a legislature
      which inflicts a punishment less than death upon persons
      supposed to be guilty of treason or felony, without any
      conviction in the ordinary course of judicial proceedings.
      --Bouvier. --Wharton.

   Bill of parcels, an account given by the seller to the
      buyer of the several articles purchased, with the price of
      each.

   Bill of particulars (Law), a detailed statement of the
      items of a plaintiff's demand in an action, or of the
      defendant's set-off.

   Bill of rights, a summary of rights and privileges claimed
      by a people. Such was the declaration presented by the
      Lords and Commons of England to the Prince and Princess of
      Orange in 1688, and enacted in Parliament after they
      became king and queen. In America, a bill or declaration
      of rights is prefixed to most of the constitutions of the
      several States.

   Bill of sale, a formal instrument for the conveyance or
      transfer of goods and chattels.

   Bill of sight, a form of entry at the customhouse, by which
      goods, respecting which the importer is not possessed of
      full information, may be provisionally landed for
      examination.

   Bill of store, a license granted at the customhouse to
      merchants, to carry such stores and provisions as are
      necessary for a voyage, custom free. --Wharton.

   Bills payable (pl.), the outstanding unpaid notes or
      acceptances made and issued by an individual or firm.

   Bills receivable (pl.), the unpaid promissory notes or
      acceptances held by an individual or firm. --McElrath.

   A true bill, a bill of indictment sanctioned by a grand
      jury.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

bill of lading
    n 1: a receipt given by the carrier to the shipper acknowledging
         receipt of the goods being shipped and specifying the terms
         of delivery [syn: bill of lading, waybill]

Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

BILL OF LADING, contracts and commercial law. A memorandum or acknowledgment
in writing, signed by the captain or master of a ship or other vessel, that
he has received in good order, on board of his ship or vessel, therein
named, at the place therein mentioned, certain goods therein specified,
which he promises to deliver in like good order, (the dangers of the seas
excepted,) at the place therein appointed for the delivery of the same, to
the consignee therein named or to his assigns, he or they paying freight for
the same. 1 T. R. 745; Bac. Abr. Merchant L Com. Dig. Merchant E 8. b;
Abbott on Ship. 216 1 Marsh. on Ins. 407; Code de Com. art. 281. Or it is
the written evidence of a contract for the carriage and delivery of goods
sent by sea for a certain freight. Per Lord Loughborougb, 1 H. Bl. 359.
     2. A bill of lading ought to contain the name of the consignor; the
name of the consignee the name of the master of the vessel; the name of the
vessel; the place of departure and destination; the price of the freight;
and in the margin, the marks and numbers of the things shipped. Code de Com.
art. 281; Jacobsen's Sea Laws.
     3. It is usually made in three original's, or parts. One of them is
commonly sent to the consignee on board with the goods; another is sent to
him by mail or some other conveyance; and the third is retained by the
merchant or shipper. The master should also take care to have another part
for his own use. Abbotton Ship. 217.
     4. The bill of lading is assignable, and the assignee is entitled to
the goods, subject, however, to the shipper's right, in some cases, of
stoppage in transitu. See In transitu; Stoppage in transitu. Abbott on
Shipping. 331; Bac. Ab. Merchant, L; 1 Bell's Com. 542, 5th ed.