kiloton

noun ki·lo·ton \ ˈki-lə-ˌtən also -ˌtän \

Updated on: 2 May 2018

Definition of kiloton

1 : 1000 tons

2 : an explosive force equivalent to that of 1000 tons of TNT

Recent Examples of kiloton from the Web

Analysis of the seismic data suggested that the explosion's yield was as high as 250 kilotons, almost 17 times that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "North Korea’s mountain mystery: Is Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site still functional?," 25 Apr. 2018
By way of comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima was 16 kilotons, or the equivalent of 16,000 tons of TNT.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Pentagon Document Confirms Existence of Russian Doomsday Torpedo," 16 Jan. 2018
Each carries up to eight warheads of at least 100 kilotons each.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "What Putin Would Nuke," 5 Mar. 2018
In 1951, an era of atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flat.

— cleveland.com, "Today in History: January 27, 2018," 27 Jan. 2018
Some respected analysts have even pegged it at 250 kilotons.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "What made North Korea’s weapons programs so much scarier in 2017," 21 Dec. 2017
After Sunday’s estimated 120 kiloton nuclear test, which the regime claimed was a missile-ready hydrogen bomb, that deployment is poised to be ratified domestically.

— charlie campbell / beijing, Time, "Donald Trump Calls North Korea ‘Hostile and Dangerous’ After Latest Nuclear Test," 4 Sep. 2017
Each missile carried ten W-87 thermonuclear warheads, each with a yield of 300 kilotons.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Air Force Uses Ex-Nuclear Missiles to Loft Satellites Into Space," 28 Aug. 2017
Another option would drop bombs of 70 kilotons each on a wider range of military targets if North Korea attacked South Korea.

— fred kaplan, Slate Magazine, "Déjà Vu in North Korea," 27 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kiloton.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of kiloton

1950

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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kiloton

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kiloton

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