short ton

noun

: a unit of weight equal to 2000 pounds see Weights and Measures Table

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Cash prices in central Appalachia have climbed 40% in 2022—and more than doubled over the past year—to $129.65 a short ton last week, the highest price on record. WSJ, 3 June 2022 Soymeal futures trading on the Chicago Board of Trade hit their highest level since June 2014 early this year, topping out at an intraday high of $474.10 per short ton on Jan. 12. Kirk Maltais, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2021 Last year domestic coal consumption fell to 687 million short tons, the lowest level since 1978, according to data released Monday by the Department of Energy. James Osborne, Houston Chronicle, 10 June 2019 The US Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2015, US farmers used 22 million short tons of fertilizer for plant production, or around 44 billion pounds (nearly 20 billion kilograms). David Mckenzie, CNN, 6 Mar. 2020 The development will be a single longwall mine and is expected to have the capacity to produce an average of 4.3 million short tons per year of premium High-Vol A met coal over the first ten years of production. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 1 Mar. 2020 The power sector accounts for more than 80 percent of domestic coal production, which fell to less than 760 million short tons last year. James Osborne, Houston Chronicle, 10 June 2019 The nation exported about 116 million short tons of coal in 2018, the highest level since 2013. L.m. Sixel, Houston Chronicle, 11 June 2019 That's according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Energy, which on Monday said coal usage fell to 687 million short tons, its lowest since 1978. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 June 2019 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short ton was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near short ton

Cite this Entry

“Short ton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20ton. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

short ton

noun
: a unit of weight equal to 2000 pounds see measure

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