ton

[ tuhn ]

/ tʌn /

noun

a unit of weight, equivalent to 2000 pounds (0.907 metric ton) avoirdupois (short ton) in the U.S. and 2240 pounds (1.016 metric tons) avoirdupois (long ton) in Great Britain.

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.

metric ton.

displacement ton.

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

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

Often tons. Informal. a great quantity; a lot: a ton of jokes; tons of wedding presents.

British Informal. a speed of 100 miles per hour.

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Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

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Origin of ton

1350–1400; Middle English; variant of tun

Words nearby ton

tompion, tompkins, tomsk, tomtate, tomtit, ton, ton-force, ton-mile, ton-up, tonal, tonalist

Definition for ton (2 of 3)

ton²

[ French tawn ]

/ French tɔ̃ /

noun, plural tons [French tawn] /French tɔ̃/.

high fashion; stylishness.

the current fashion, style, or vogue.

Origin of ton

1755–65; < French < Latin tonus tone

OTHER WORDS FROM ton

ton·ish, ton·nish

[ton-ish] /ˈtɒn ɪʃ/, adjectiveton·ish·ly, ton·nish·ly, adverbton·ish·ness, ton·nish·ness, noun

Definition for ton (3 of 3)

-ton

a suffix formerly used to form nouns from adjectives: simpleton; singleton.

Origin of -ton

variant of dial. tone one (see tother)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ton

But there's a ton of value for me in my background and my history, and losing it would be a shame.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Some of the things that Jay lied about to the cops actually make a ton of sense.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For those in the resource world, every ton of junk that goes into a landfill represents wasted energy.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Red squirrels cache the pinecones (saving the bears a ton of work).
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So I went in, met Michael Bay, and did the video, and it won an MTV Video Music Award and got me a ton of work.
‘Mockingjay’s’ Mastermind: Francis Lawrence on the Book vs. Movie, ISIS Parallels, and More|Marlow Stern|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mother-of-pearl used in the arts is sold by the ton, from $50 to $700 being average prices.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 362, December 9, 1882|Various
To lift a ton weight, apply a vast number of forces of one ounce intensity, acting successively in time, and the thing is done!
The Arena|Various
By this route fifty dollars was saved on every ton of freight from Ottawa to the middle north.
The Story of Isaac Brock|Walter R. Nursey
A ton and a half of supplies had to be hauled some fifty miles across country to the base of the mountain.
The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley)|Hudson Stuck
She has often within a year taken a ton weight in a wagon to Boston, five miles, and manifests no diminution of her powers.
Domestic Animals|Richard L. Allen

British Dictionary definitions for ton (1 of 3)

ton¹

/ (tʌn) /

noun

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Word Origin for ton

C14: variant of tun

British Dictionary definitions for ton (2 of 3)

ton²

/ French (tɔ̃) /

noun

style, fashion, or distinction

Word Origin for ton

C18: from French, from Latin tonus tone

British Dictionary definitions for ton (3 of 3)

ton³

/ (tʌn) /

noun

slang, mainly British a score or achievement of a hundred, esp a hundred miles per hour, as on a motorcycle

Word Origin for ton

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ton

ton

[ tŭn ]

A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). Also called short ton See Table at measurement.

A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,240 pounds (1,008 kilograms). Also called long ton See Table at measurement.

See metric ton.

Idioms and Phrases with ton

ton

see like a ton of bricks.

ton

noun

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Origin of ton

Words nearby ton

Definition for ton (2 of 3)

noun, plural tons [French tawn] /French tɔ̃/.

Origin of ton

OTHER WORDS FROM ton

Definition for ton (3 of 3)

Origin of -ton

Words related to ton

Example sentences from the Web for ton

British Dictionary definitions for ton (1 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for ton

British Dictionary definitions for ton (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for ton

British Dictionary definitions for ton (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for ton

Scientific definitions for ton

Idioms and Phrases with ton