tonnage

noun

ton·​nage ˈtə-nij 

1

a

: the cubical content of a merchant ship in units of 100 cubic feet

b

: the displacement of a warship

2

a

: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or produced

b

: impressively large amount or weight

3

: a duty formerly levied on every tun of wine imported into England

4

a

: a duty or impost on vessels based on cargo capacity

b

: a duty on goods per ton transported

5

: ships in terms of the total number of tons registered or carried or of their carrying capacity

Examples of tonnage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s top 10 seaports by both value and tonnage, one of the fastest-growing over the last decade, and one that leads the nation in a host of export and import categories. —Ken Roberts, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

The International Group of P&I Clubs collectively insures approximately 90% of the world's ocean-going tonnage and member P&I clubs mutually reinsure each other by sharing claims above $10 million. —Sinead Cruise, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024

Ship traffic through the Port of Baltimore — the 17th largest US port by total tonnage, or total weight of cargo entering and leaving the port, and fourth largest in the East Coast, according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Transportation — was suspended until further notice. —Lou Robinson, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024

Baltimore is now America’s 17th-biggest port by tonnage—a respectable rank, if a far cry from the early days of the United States, when shipping made the city the third-most-populous in the country—and may well drop further down the list if the harbor remains inaccessible. —Rachel Gutman-Wei, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2024

Sam’s Club In-store: Membership is not required to enter the warehouse and admire the gross tonnage. —Martha Quillin, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Air cargo tonnages, which includes both freight and mail transported by air, was down 9% for all carriers in December. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024

And there’s tonnage, too, and also trade possibilities – for those motivated and creative enough. —Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024

Please note that this is a subjective list, although hard metrics such as total launches, tonnage to orbit, success rate, and more were all important factors in the decision. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

in sense 3, from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tonne tun; in other senses, from ton entry 1 — more at tunnel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

tonnage

noun

ton·​nage ˈtən-ij 

1

: a tax on ships based on tons carried

2

: ships in terms of the total number of tons that are or can be carried

3

: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or mined