tonnage

American  

[tuhn-ij] / ˈtʌn ɪdʒ /

Or tunnage

noun

1. the capacity of a merchant vessel, expressed either in units of weight, as deadweight tons, ton, or of volume, as gross tons. ton.

2. ships collectively considered with reference to their carrying capacity or together with their cargoes.

3. a duty on ships or boats at so much per ton of cargo or freight, or according to the capacity in tons. ton.

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tonnage British  

/ ˈtʌnɪdʒ /

noun

1. 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

2. the weight of the cargo of a merchant ship

3. the total amount of shipping of a port or nation, estimated by the capacity of its ships

4. a duty on ships based either on their capacity or their register tonnage

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Etymology

Origin of tonnage

1375–1425; late Middle English: duty < Old French. See ton ¹, -age

Example Sentences

Diverting those tonnages from landfill or incineration can "improve our recycling rate as a nation quite significantly", he explained.

From BBC

Given the sheer tonnage of Russian machinery still at the launchpad, it appears there is an enormous job ahead.

From Barron's

The total number of such larger sites is likely to be higher, as the Environment Agency has previously told the BBC it does not hold data on tonnage for every illegal tip.

From BBC

“When things get expensive, it’s not a surprise for us to see tonnage down, particularly in India and China,” according to the strategist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Counterintuitively, electrifying long routes would be harder for small ships, because they carry less tonnage for their size.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• amount
• breadth
• capacity
• content
• diameter
• extent
• height
• intensity
• length
• magnitude
• proportion
• range
• scope
• stature
• volume
• width