a unit of weight, equivalent to 2000 pounds (0.907 metric ton) avoirdupois short ton, or net ton in the United States and 2240 pounds (1.016 metric tons) avoirdupois long ton in Great Britain.
Also called freight ton. a unit of volume for freight that weighs one ton, varying with the type of freight measured, as 40 cubic feet of oak timber or 20 bushels of wheat.
a unit of volume used in transportation by sea, commonly equal to 40 cubic feet (1.13 cu. m) shipping ton, or measurement ton.
a unit of internal capacity of ships, equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 cu. m) register ton.
Informal. Often tons a great quantity; a lot.
a ton of jokes;
tons of wedding presents.
British Informal. a speed of 100 miles per hour.
high fashion; stylishness.
the current fashion, style, or vogue.
(used with a singular or plural verb) the ton, fashionable society.
Also called: long ton. a unit of weight equal to 2240 pounds or 1016.046909 kilograms
Also called: short ton. net ton. a unit of weight equal to 2000 pounds or 907.184 kilograms
Also called: metric ton. tonne. a unit of weight equal to 1000 kilograms
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 £40 per ton of 1 cubic metre
Also called: measurement ton. shipping ton. a unit of volume used in shipping freight, equal to 40 cubic feet, irrespective of the commodity shipped
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
Also called: register ton. a unit of internal capacity of ships equal to 100 cubic feet
A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms).
Also called short ton
See Table at measurement
A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 2,240 pounds (1,008 kilograms).
Also called long ton
See Table at measurement
See metric ton
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; variant of tun
First recorded in 1760–70; from French, from Latin tonus tone
The ton is a unit of measurement. In North America, a ton is 2,000 pounds. Elephants weigh several tons — and blue whales can weigh up to 200 tons! Although a ton is a specific way to measure weight, the word is often used more generally to mean "a whole bunch" or "a lot." So if your friend promises that her dad made a ton of cupcakes, don't be disappointed when you get to her house and discover only a few dozen. The original ton, spelled tun, was "enough to fill a tun (or cask) of wine."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
McKinney said that just prior to the war, the cost of a ton of fertilizer was $790.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for July delivery ended 49 ringgit lower at 4,579 ringgit a ton.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
With a $100 per ton increase in sulfur prices estimated to increase operating costs by 4%, the economists note that copper production costs have increased since mid-February by about 8%.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
I watched a ton of one-person shows, which I would be generally disinclined to watch: Mike Birbiglia, Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette” and especially Jacqueline Novak’s “Get On Your Knees.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
I had a ton of role models, and after I walked on Mars or discovered Planet Nine, then I would be someone’s hero too.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.