kiloton

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

|Updated on: 25 Jul 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

Hiroshima, by way of comparison, had an explosive yield of 16 kilotons.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Moscow’s Defender: Russia Tests Modernized Ballistic Missile," 21 Feb. 2018
By comparison, the warheads the U.S. military dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 exploded with about 15 and 20 kilotons of force, respectively.

— paul sonne, Washington Post, "Trump poised to get new low-yield nuclear weapons," 13 June 2018
What would happen if a ten-kiloton terrorist bomb were detonated in Times Square. 1.

— Daily Intelligencer, "This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like," 12 June 2018
The yield of the bomb was estimated at more than 100 kilotons of TNT, at least 10 times stronger than anything the North had tested previously.

— christopher bodeen, Fox News, "Geologists say North Korea's nuclear test site has collapsed," 26 Apr. 2018
These nuclear powered submarines each carry sixteen Bulava submarine launched ballistic missiles, each with a range of 5,800 miles and armed with six 150 kiloton nuclear warheads.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Here Are All the Submarines of the Russian Navy in One Infographic," 19 Apr. 2018
In comparison, the American nuclear bomb detonated over Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotons of energy.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "North Korea expected to close nuclear test site, despite squabbles," 24 May 2018
In comparison, the American nuclear bomb detonated over Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotons of energy.

— anna fifield, Anchorage Daily News, "North Korea declares its nuclear test site closed after a ‘huge explosion’," 24 May 2018
The researchers estimated that the strength of the explosion was about 120 to 304 kilotons, or 10 times that dropped on Hiroshima, according to a statement.

— yasemin saplakoglu, Scientific American, "Nuclear Bomb Test Moved North Korea Mountain," 14 May 2018

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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