Main Entry:

ton·nage

Pronunciation:

\ˈtə-nij\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

in sense 1, from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tonne tun; in other senses, from ¹ton — more at tunnel

Date:

15th century

1: a duty formerly levied on every tun of wine imported into England2 a: a duty or impost on vessels based on cargo capacity b: a duty on goods per ton transported3: ships in terms of the total number of tons registered or carried or of their carrying capacity4 a: the cubical content of a merchant ship in units of 100 cubic feet b: the displacement of a warship5 a: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or produced b: impressively large amount or weight