metric ton

American  

noun

1. a unit of 1000 kilograms, equivalent to 2204.62 avoirdupois pounds.

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metric ton British  

noun

1. another name (not in technical use) for tonne

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metric ton Scientific  

1. A unit of mass or weight in the metric system equal to 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds).

2. See Table at measurement

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Etymology

Origin of metric ton

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

In 2024, prices for cocoa futures trading on the Intercontinental Exchange rose exponentially, going from around $4,200 a metric ton to start to year to peaking at more than $12,000 a ton by December.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Cocoa futures prices surged exponentially in 2024, peaking above $12,000 a metric ton due to poor weather in West African nations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

A single kilogram is about one-thousandth of a metric ton, and each kilogram of helium-3 costs about $20 million, according to Interlune.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

For the current quarter, Carnival expects fuel costs per metric ton consumed of $795, which is 42.2% more than the $559 it cost in the fiscal quarter through Feb. 28.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

The company is fined for each metric ton of pollutants over the legal limit.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt