A ton is a unit of weight that is equal to 2240 pounds in Britain and to 2000 pounds in the United States.
Hundreds of tons of oil spilled into the sea. [+ of]
Getting rid of rubbish can cost $100 a ton.
2. countable noun
A ton is the same as a tonne.
3.
See to come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
4.
See weigh a ton
ton in British English1
(tʌn)
noun
1. Also called: long ton British
a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
2. Also called: short ton, net ton US
a unit of weight equal to 2000 pounds or 907.184 kilograms
3. Also called: metric ton, tonne
a unit of weight equal to 1000 kilograms
4. Also called: freight ton
a unit of volume or weight used for charging or measuring freight in shipping. It depends on the type of material being shipped but is often taken as 40 cubic feet, 1 cubic metre, or 1000 kilograms
freight is charged at £50 per ton of 1 cubic metre
5. Also called: measurement ton, shipping ton
a unit of volume used in shipping freight, equal to 40 cubic feet, irrespective of the commodity shipped
6. Also called: displacement ton
a unit used for measuring the displacement of a ship, equal to 35 cubic feet of sea water or 2240 pounds
7. Also called: register ton
a unit of internal capacity of ships equal to 100 cubic feet
Word origin
C14: variant of tun
ton in British English2
French (tɔ̃)
noun
style, fashion, or distinction
Word origin
C18: from French, from Latin tonustone
ton in British English3
(tʌn)
noun
slang, mainly British
a score or achievement of a hundred, esp a hundred miles per hour, as on a motorcycle
Word origin
C20: special use of ton1 applied to quantities of one hundred
ton in American English1
(tʌn)
nounWord forms: pluraltons or ton
1.
a unit of weight, equal to 2,000 pounds avoirdupois (907.1847 kilograms or 0.90718 metric ton or 0.8929 long ton), commonly used in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, etc.
: in full short ton
2.
a unit of weight, equal to 2,240 pounds avoirdupois (1,016.0469 kilograms or 1.016metric tons or 1.12 short tons), commonly used in Great Britain
: in full long ton
3.
metric ton
4.
a unit of internal capacity of ships, equal to 100 cubic feet (or 2.8317 cubic meters)
: in full register ton
5.
a unit of carrying capacity of ships, usually equal to 40 cubic feet
: also called measurement ton, freight ton
6.
a unit for measuring displacement of ships, equal to 35 cubic feet: it is approximately equal to the volume of a long ton of sea water
: in full displacement ton
7. US
a unit of cooling capacity of an air conditioner, equal to 12,000 Btu per hour
8. [often pl.]; Informal
a very large amount or number
Word origin
var. (differentiated (17th-c.) for senses “weight, measure”) of tun
ton in American English2
(tɔ̃̃)
French
noun
style; vogue
Word origin
Fr: see tone
More idioms containing
ton
come down on someone like a ton of bricks
like a ton of bricks
Examples of 'ton' in a sentence
ton
The machines can weigh hundreds of tons and must be built into cavernous radiation bunkers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They will fix the problem and save us a ton of money.
Computing (2010)
No doubt he could score a ton of goals out there, too.
The Sun (2017)
But it only bleeds because I've got a ton of money and two houses.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It has hit me like a ton of bricks.
The Sun (2012)
You heat up quickly and lose tons of weight.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You spent a ton of money on lawyers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It too produced a ton and a half of gold a year.
Aganbegyan, Abel Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy (1990)
Rarely can a crowd have more wanted a man to score a ton.
The Sun (2014)
The car weighs nearly two tons but feels half the weight.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That was his first run at a mile and he can come on a ton.
The Sun (2016)
In the law coming down on people like a ton of bricks.
The Sun (2011)
He used to be very heavy but has lost tons of weight.
The Sun (2008)
The big blockbusters that make a ton of money?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It weighs a ton and still has the leg straps.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
And with it comes a ton of pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He ought to come down on them like a ton of bricks.
The Sun (2015)
The law would only come down on her like a ton of bricks if she was caught again.
The Sun (2010)
Once they score a ton the best batsmen take a fresh guard and press on remorselessly towards a double century.
Frankie Dettori with Jonathan Powell FRANKIE: The Autobiography of Frankie Dettori (2004)
The tanker carried 230,000 tons of fuel oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It took the crew a month to clean it up - they removed three tons of rubbish.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They must ship 80 tons of equipment to the area.
The Sun (2011)
And cops are sifting through 300 tons of rubbish.
The Sun (2011)
Mile upon mile of juicy soil, ready and able to produce millions of tons of delicious food for all the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I was sitting at home on my own one afternoon when the fear suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks.
The Sun (2006)
A salvage company was working out how to remove more than 500 tons of oil from the vessel.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The ship has 11,000 tons of steel, iron and copper to be turned into reusable goods.
The Sun (2009)
Marine experts fear the dolphins have swallowed some of the 200 tons of fuel oil that spilt out of the Napoli.
The Sun (2007)
In other languages
ton
British English: ton /tʌn/ NOUN
A ton is a unit of weight equal to 2,240 pounds in Britain and 2,000 pounds in the United States.
Hundreds of tons of oil spilled into the ocean.
American English: ton
Arabic: طُنّ
Brazilian Portuguese: tonelada
Chinese: 吨
Croatian: tona
Czech: tuna
Danish: ton
Dutch: ton
European Spanish: tonelada
Finnish: tonni
French: tonne
German: Tonne
Greek: τόνος βάρος
Italian: tonnellata
Japanese: トン
Korean: 톤
Norwegian: tonn
Polish: tona
European Portuguese: tonelada
Romanian: tonă
Russian: тонна
Latin American Spanish: tonelada
Swedish: ton
Thai: หน่วยน้ำหนักเท่ากับสองพันสองร้อยสี่สิบปอนด์
Turkish: ton ağırlık
Ukrainian: тонна
Vietnamese: một tấn Anh
All related terms of 'ton'
Teton
→ Lakota
ton-up
(esp of a motorcycle ) capable of speeds of a hundred miles per hour or more
bon ton
sophisticated manners or breeding
net ton
a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds ; short ton
won ton
a dumpling filled with spiced minced pork , usually served in soup
foot-ton
a unit of work or energy equal to 2240 foot-pounds
gross ton
a long ton
long ton
a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
short ton
a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
freight ton
→ ton 1 (sense 5 )
metric ton
A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms .
register ton
→ ton 1 (sense 4 )
shipping ton
a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
measurement ton
→ ton 1 (sense 5 )
ton-up boys
youths who habitually ride or drive a vehicle at speeds of a hundred miles per hour or more
weigh a ton
If you say that something weighs a ton , you mean that it is extremely heavy .
displacement ton
a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
like a ton of bricks
very suddenly and dramatically
come down on someone like a ton of bricks
to speak very angrily to someone because they have done something wrong or to punish them severely
to come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
If someone comes down on you like a ton of bricks , they are extremely angry with you and tell you off because of something wrong that you have done.