ton

¹

[tuhn]

noun

1. a unit of weight, equivalent to 2000 pounds (0.907 metric ton) avoirdupois short ton, or net ton in the United States and 2240 pounds (1.016 metric tons) avoirdupois long ton in Great Britain.

2. Also called freight ton. a unit of volume for freight that weighs one ton, varying with the type of freight measured, as 40 cubic feet of oak timber or 20 bushels of wheat.

3. metric ton.

4. displacement ton.

5. a unit of volume used in transportation by sea, commonly equal to 40 cubic feet (1.13 cu. m) shipping ton, or measurement ton.

6. a unit of internal capacity of ships, equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 cu. m) register ton.

7. Informal.,  Often tons a great quantity; a lot.

   a ton of jokes;

   tons of wedding presents.

8. British Informal.,  a speed of 100 miles per hour.

ton

²

[ton, tawn]

noun

1. high fashion; stylishness.

2. the current fashion, style, or vogue.

3. (used with a singular or plural verb),  the ton, fashionable society.

-ton

³

1. a suffix formerly used to form nouns from adjectives.

   simpleton; singleton.

ton

¹

/ tʌn /

noun

1. Also called: long ton. a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms

2. Also called: short ton.  net ton. a unit of weight equal to 2000 pounds or 907.184 kilograms

3. Also called: metric ton.  tonne. a unit of weight equal to 1000 kilograms

4. Also called: freight ton. a unit of volume or weight used for charging or measuring freight in shipping. It depends on the type of material being shipped but is often taken as 40 cubic feet, 1 cubic metre, or 1000 kilograms

   freight is charged at £40 per ton of 1 cubic metre

5. Also called: measurement ton.  shipping ton. a unit of volume used in shipping freight, equal to 40 cubic feet, irrespective of the commodity shipped

6. Also called: displacement ton. a unit used for measuring the displacement of a ship, equal to 35 cubic feet of sea water or 2240 pounds

7. Also called: register ton. a unit of internal capacity of ships equal to 100 cubic feet

ton

²

/ tɔ̃ /

noun

1. style, fashion, or distinction

ton

³

/ tʌn /

noun

1. slang,  a score or achievement of a hundred, esp a hundred miles per hour, as on a motorcycle

ton

1. A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms).

2. Also called short ton

3. See Table at measurement

4. A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,240 pounds (1,008 kilograms).

5. Also called long ton

6. See Table at measurement

7. See metric ton

Other Word Forms

• tonish adjective
• tonnish adjective
• tonishly adverb
• tonnishly adverb
• tonishness noun
• tonnishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ton¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; variant of tun

Origin of ton²

First recorded in 1760–70; from French, from Latin tonus tone

Origin of ton³

Variant of dial. tone one ( tother )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ton¹

C14: variant of _tun

Origin of ton²

C18: from French, from Latin tonus _tone

Origin of ton³

C20: special use of _ton ¹ applied to quantities of one hundred

Idioms and Phrases

see like a ton of bricks.

Example Sentences

AmInvestment Bank sees support for crude palm oil futures at 4,251 ringgit a ton and resistance at 4,365 ringgit a ton.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for January delivery is 42 ringgit lower at 4,275 ringgit a ton.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In early European trading, three-month copper futures rose 0.6% to $11,097 a metric ton after touching a high of $11,146 a ton earlier in the session.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The previous record of $11,104.50 a ton was set in May 2024.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for January delivery falls 58 ringgit to 4,315 ringgit a ton.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alp 
• bluff 
• butte 
• cliff 
• crag 
• elevation 
• eminence 
• height 
• mesa 
• mount 
• palisade 
• peak 
• pike 
• precipice 
• range 
• ridge 
• sierra 
• tor 
• volcano