ton

1 of 2

noun (1)

plural tons also ton
1
: any of various units of weight:
2
: a great quantity : lot
ate tons of cookies
has tons of money
a ton of work to do
3
a
: a unit of internal capacity for ships equal to 100 cubic feet

called also register ton

b
: a unit approximately equal to the volume of a long ton weight of seawater used in reckoning the displacement of ships and equal to 35 cubic feet
c
: a unit of volume for cargo freight usually reckoned at 40 cubic feet

called also measurement ton

ton

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: the prevailing fashion : vogue
2
: the quality or state of being smart or fashionable

Examples of ton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
On the internet, there are a ton of UFC betting options with great odds and lines that are just a click away. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Small-space living has led me to a ton of nifty home hacks. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 About 56 tons of livestock bedding and manure had been spread atop Mark Zinke’s frozen alfalfa field. Bennet Goldstein, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 That number is expected to rise another 19 million tons by 2027. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Alexandria, Virginia Just across the Potomac River from sprawling D.C., Alexandria may feel like a small town when compared to our nation's capital, but there's tons to explore in this historic city. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Since there wasn’t a ton of people at Curly’s at the time, the couple weren’t bothered for autographs or photos. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 In total from 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranum ore was extracted from Navajo under leases with the Navajo Nation. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 So there's been tons of Republican voters who are still with Trump despite all of these indictments. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tunne unit of weight or capacity — more at tun

Noun (2)

borrowed from French, "pitch, tone, manner, style," going back to Old French, "sound of voices, voice quality," going back to Latin tonus "strain, tension, musical pitch, note" — more at tone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun (2)

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ton was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ton

Cite this Entry

“Ton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ton. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ton

noun
ˈtən
plural tons also ton
1
2
3

More from Merriam-Webster on ton

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