tonnage

or tun·nage

[tuhn-ij]

See more synonyms for tonnage on Thesaurus.com

noun

the capacity of a merchant vessel, expressed either in units of weight, as deadweight tons, or of volume, as gross tons.
ships collectively considered with reference to their carrying capacity or together with their cargoes.
a duty on ships or boats at so much per ton of cargo or freight, or according to the capacity in tons.

Origin of tonnage

1375–1425; late Middle English: duty < Old French. See ton¹, -age

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for tonnage

volume, capacity, diameter, intensity, breadth, proportion, length, height, content, width, amount, magnitude, extent, stature, scope, range, load, density, gravity, pressure

Examples from the Web for tonnage

Contemporary Examples of tonnage

His death is not commensurate with the tonnage of human suffering he caused.
The Relief of 9/11 Heroes
John Avlon
May 2, 2011

Historical Examples of tonnage

No, and if they begin to object you can talk to them about tonnage.
Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol 150, February 9, 1916
Various
The Company are paid by a tonnage duty, which they charge to the owners.
Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.
Pierce Egan
It is the road that can handle the tonnage cheapest that will survive.
The Daughter of a Magnate
Frank H. Spearman
Their tonnage was fixed at 7,500, and their maximum speed at twenty-two knots.
The Naval History of the United States
Willis J. Abbot.
Her tonnage was twice that of the others; her size about 200 by 75 feet.
James B. Eads
Louis How

British Dictionary definitions for tonnage

tonnage

tunnage

noun

the capacity of a merchant ship expressed in tons, for which purpose a ton is considered as 40 cubic feet of freight or 100 cubic feet of bulk cargo, unless such an amount would weigh more than 2000 pounds in which case the actual weight is used
the weight of the cargo of a merchant ship
the total amount of shipping of a port or nation, estimated by the capacity of its ships
a duty on ships based either on their capacity or their register tonnage

Word Origin for tonnage

C15: from Old French, from tonne barrel

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

Word Origin and History for tonnage

early 15c., from ton + -age. Originally was "tax or duty on wine imported in tuns."