tonne

American

[tuhn] / tʌn /

noun

metric ton.

tonne British

/ tʌn /

noun

Also called (not in technical use): metric ton. a unit of mass equal to 1000 kg or 2204.6 pounds

"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

Etymology

Origin of tonne

From French, dating back to 1900–05; see origin at ton ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 33-year-old, who took over the family business before Christmas, said a tonne bag had gone up by 14%, from £336 to £390, since last year.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

That trouble becomes imminent for humans, too, when a 30-40 tonne gray whale begins floating in the bay, as happened earlier this year.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

He said prices had risen further since then, to about £540 a tonne, if it was even available at all.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Even under relatively conservative assumptions, the cost per tonne of carbon emitted is far higher than many government estimates.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Weighing up to a tonne, the Erumpent may be mistaken for a rhinoceros at a distance.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023