ton

[ tuhn ]

/ tʌn /

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See synonyms for: ton / tons on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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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Origin of ton

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

Words nearby ton

Tom Thumb, tomtit, tom-tom, -tomy, to my mind, ton, tonal, tonalist, tonality, to-name, Tonawanda

Other definitions for ton (2 of 3)

ton²

[ ton, French tawn ]

/ tɒn, French tɔ̃ /

noun

high fashion; stylishness.

the current fashion, style, or vogue.

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

Origin of ton

First recorded in 1760–70; from French, from 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

Other definitions for ton (3 of 3)

-ton

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

Origin of -ton

Variant of dial. toneone (see tother)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ton in a sentence

Unfortunately, there are not a ton of studies to support the idea that BCAA supplementation improves athletic performance in the short term, meaning that drinking BCAAs before your workout likely won’t make you squat more weight or swim faster.
BCAA supplements can enhance your workout, but should you take them?|Amy Schellenbaum|September 10, 2020|Popular-Science
While there’s not a ton tech can do to make people feel safe at crowded polling stations or up the Postal Service’s budget, tech can help with disinformation, and Microsoft is trying to do so.
Microsoft’s New Deepfake Detector Puts Reality to the Test|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|September 4, 2020|Singularity Hub
You can afford to make those big acquisitions when you’ve got a ton of cash on hand, when you’re one of just two companies sharing a huge market.
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 3, 2020|Freakonomics
They’ll also know exactly what supplies they need and won’t want to grapple with the tons of items that well-intentioned people send to the area.
Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century|Sara Chodosh|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science

In terms of search, buyers may still have tons of questions about using, or troubleshooting, your product or service.
Why marketers should break SEO strategies into pre- and post-purchase|The Content Studio @ Search Engine Land|August 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
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
The price of salt at one period of the long Peninsular war rose to £30 per ton, being retailed in Birmingham at 4l.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
If you think the fly-wheel is not sufficiently heavy for his engine, add half a ton more to the ring.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
At Thetford the cost may be put at from $20 to $25 per ton, the latter probably being nearer the average.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones
Bergin dug a big hole behind that ole vacant shack of hisn, and buried about a ton of tin cans.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher|Eleanor Gates
A ton of silk goods is worth from ten to fifteen thousand dollars.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 101, March, 1866|Various

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with ton

ton

see like a ton of bricks.

ton

Origin of ton

Words nearby ton

Other definitions for ton (2 of 3)

Origin of ton

OTHER WORDS FROM ton

Other definitions for ton (3 of 3)

Origin of -ton

Words related to ton

How to use ton in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ton (1 of 3)

Word Origin for ton

British Dictionary definitions for ton (2 of 3)

Word Origin for ton

British Dictionary definitions for ton (3 of 3)

Word Origin for ton

Scientific definitions for ton

Other Idioms and Phrases with ton