The tonnage of a ship is its size or the amount of space that it has inside it for cargo.
[technical]
2. variable noun
Tonnage is the total number of tons that something weighs, or the total amount that there is of it.
tonnage in British English
or tunnage (ˈtʌnɪdʒ)
noun
1.
the capacity of a merchant ship expressed in tons, for which purpose a ton is considered as 40 cubic feet of freight or 100 cubic feet of bulk cargo, unless such an amount would weigh more than 2000 pounds in which case the actual weight is used
2.
the weight of the cargo of a merchant ship
3.
the total amount of shipping of a port or nation, estimated by the capacity of its ships
4.
a duty on ships based either on their capacity or their register tonnage
Word origin
C15: from Old French, from tonne barrel
tonnage in American English
(ˈtʌnɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a duty or tax on ships, based on tons carried
2.
a charge per ton on cargo or freight on a canal, at a port, etc.
3.
the total amount of shipping of a country or port, calculated in tons
4.
the carrying capacity of a ship, calculated in tons
5.
weight in tons
Word origin
ME < MFr: see tun & -age
Examples of 'tonnage' in a sentence
tonnage
Abundant tonnage of ships under his control, enormous first-raters down to the lowliest cutter.
Fidelis Morgan THE RIVAL QUEENS: A COUNTESS ASHBY DE LA ZOUCHE MYSTERY (2002)
`I can give you the dimensions and tonnage of the Concepcion, how much sail she carried, when and where she was built.