ton

1 of 2

noun (1)

plural tons also ton
1
: any of various units of weight:
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)

1
: the prevailing fashion : vogue
2
: the quality or state of being smart or fashionable

Examples of ton in a Sentence

Noun (1) I received a ton of advice on the problem—all of it unsolicited Noun (2) granite countertops became all the ton in kitchen decor
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For the driver who sees their vehicle as simple transportation, whose priorities lie with reducing greenhouse emissions, or simply who doesn’t care about what powers their car all that much, a plug-in hybrid can make a ton of sense. Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025 Crews have been removing more than 10 tons of debris and sanitizing campuses. Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Santos brought a ton of energy to open the game, hitting an open 3 and getting a handful of extra possessions during that hot start. Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025 Since January 1, officials have seized 29 tons of counterfeit alcohol and revoked the licenses of 64 businesses allegedly involved in smuggling or selling illicit drinks. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for ton 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ton was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ton

Cite this Entry

“Ton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ton. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

ton

noun
ˈtən
plural tons also ton
1
2
3

More from Merriam-Webster on ton

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!