plural tons also ton
Synonyms of tonnext
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

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
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Noun
Preliminary estimates place the new submarine’s submerged displacement at approximately 10,100 tons. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026 The board set the ambitious goal of burying more than 100 million tons of CO2 a year by 2045, more than all the carbon that has ever been geologically stored around the world combined. — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026 These include tons of fun stationery items like cards, journals, pens and other paper goods. — Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026 The Honour 25 was on its way from Shinas Port in Oman to supply Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, with 2,700 tons of diesel. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ton. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

ton

noun
ˈtən
plural tons also ton
1
2
3

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