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

See Examples For:

metric ton

It can take years to build special equipment, such as pressure vessels, steam generators and reactor coolant pumps, the 170 metric ton hermetically sealed systems that move water through the reactor core.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

In mid-morning European trade, three-month futures on the London Metal Exchange are down 2.5% to $3,456 a metric ton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Still, the proposed 25 million metric ton annual purchase would be below the five-year average from 2020 to 2024.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

The average price of very low-sulfur fuel oil has risen 70% to $925 per metric ton at the world’s top ports since the war started.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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