noun
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one thousand tons
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an explosive power, esp of a nuclear weapon, equal to the power of 1000 tons of TNT
Etymology
Origin of kiloton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unlike nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons for use against troops on the battlefield are less powerful and can have a yield as small as about 1 kiloton.
From Seattle Times • May 6, 2024
But it has been 30 years since most Americans have talked about nuclear deterrence, the difference between tactical and strategic weapons and what havoc a 10 kiloton bomb can trigger versus a 100 kiloton one.
From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2022
The 2017 test carried an explosive yield in excess of 100 kilotons TNT equivalent, a dramatic increase from the less than 25 kiloton yield of previous tests in 2013 and 2016.
From Washington Times • Apr. 21, 2022
Most nuclear weapons today are variable-yield, or “dial-a-yield,” providing a set amount of explosive power that can range from fractions of a kiloton to multiples of a megaton.
From Scientific American • Mar. 10, 2022
"Wouldn't take as much as a kiloton equivalent, would it?"
From The Galaxy Primes by Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
