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

The crackdown on “dark fleet” tankers is likely to tighten effective crude tanker supply, boosting demand for tonnage of compliant very-large crude carriers, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal

Excluding China’s launches and SpaceX’s share is closer to 70%, and the tonnage it can deliver to space exceeds that figure.

From Barron's

This addition of tonnage and weaponry was not, however, the main outcome of this second refitting.

From Literature

“These are still small steps in tonnage, but giant strides in independence,” Innes observed.

From MarketWatch

Vessel owners are often lax about tonnage or safety standards.

From Barron's

Related Words

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