ton

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈtən 

plural tons also ton

1

: any of various units of weight:

a

: short ton see Weights and Measures Table

b

: metric ton

2

: a great quantity : lot

ate tons of cookies

has tons of money

a ton of work to do

3

a

: a unit of internal capacity for ships equal to 100 cubic feet

called also register ton

b

: a unit approximately equal to the volume of a long ton weight of seawater used in reckoning the displacement of ships and equal to 35 cubic feet

c

: a unit of volume for cargo freight usually reckoned at 40 cubic feet

called also measurement ton

ton

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈtōⁿ 

1

: the prevailing fashion : vogue

2

: the quality or state of being smart or fashionable

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Noun (2)

• buzz
• chic
• craze
• dernier cri
• enthusiasm
• fad
• fashion
• flavor
• go
• hot ticket
• last word
• latest
• mode
• rage
• sensation
• style
• trend
• vogue

Examples of ton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Royals also provided Singer with a ton of run support. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

Bain, of course, is already is slated to play a ton. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Baleen whales eat between 10 and 20 tons a day, a 2021 Nature report found. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

They’re not just being used to take pictures of the world around you, but also to track a ton of different things. —Susan Howson, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024

After the charity suspended its activities, the remaining 240 tons of aid will be returned to Cyprus, Cypriot Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis told the Associated Press. —Frances vinall, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024

There were nuisance lawsuits causing construction delays that left tons of building materials on Petco’s current site for two years. —Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024

Thankfully, there’s a ton of effective travel safety gear out there that can make your time on the road just a bit more secure and comfortable. —Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2024

Those adjustable buckles combined with the open toe design leads to tons of comfort and flexibility, which is ideal on those long days with lots of walking. —Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tunne unit of weight or capacity — more at tun

Noun (2)

borrowed from French, "pitch, tone, manner, style," going back to Old French, "sound of voices, voice quality," going back to Latin tonus "strain, tension, musical pitch, note" — more at tone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun (2)

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ton

• bon ton
• hit him like a ton of bricks
• came down on us like a ton of bricks
• deadweight ton
• gross ton
• like a ton of bricks
• long ton
• metric ton
• register ton
• weigh a ton
• shit-ton
• measurement ton
• short ton

Kids Definition

ton

noun

ˈtən

plural tons also ton

1

a

short ton

b

: long ton

2

: metric ton

3