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definitions

tonnage

or tun·nage

[ tuhn-ij ]
/ ˈtʌn ɪdʒ /
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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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. tonkin, gulf of,
  2. tonkinese,
  3. tonle sap,
  4. tonlet,
  5. tonn.,
  6. tonnage deck,
  7. tonne,
  8. tonneau,
  9. tonner,
  10. tonnish

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for tonnage

British Dictionary definitions for tonnage

tonnage

tunnage

/ (ˈtʌnɪdʒ) /

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

tonnage

n.

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

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper