ton

views updated May 23 2018

ton1 / tən/ (abbr.: t also tn) • n. 1. (also short ton) a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds avoirdupois (907.19 kg). ∎  (also long ton) a unit of weight equal to 2,240 pounds avoirdupois (1016.05 kg). ∎ short for metric ton. ∎  (also displacement ton) a unit of measurement of a ship's weight representing the weight of water it displaces, equal to 2,240 pounds or 35 cubic feet (0.99 cu m). ∎  (also freight ton) a unit of weight or volume of sea cargo, equal to a metric ton (1,000kg) or 40 cubic feet. ∎  (also gross ton) a unit of gross internal capacity, equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 cu m). ∎  (also net or register ton) an equivalent unit of net internal capacity. ∎  a unit of refrigerating power able to freeze 2,000 pounds of water at 0°C in 24 hours. ∎  a measure of capacity for various materials, esp. 40 cubic feet of timber.2. (usu. a ton of/tons of) inf. a large number or amount: all of a sudden I had tons of friends that bag of yours weighs a ton.PHRASES: like a ton of brickssee brick.ton2 / n/ • n. fashionable style or distinction. ∎  (the ton) [treated as sing. or pl.] fashionable society.

Ton

views updated May 17 2018

Ton

a very large amount; a measure of weight (2240 Ib. in the United Kingdom, 2000 Ib. in the United States); also used in the plural, e.g. tons of something; people of fashion, collectively, e.g. the ton, 1815.

ton

views updated May 23 2018

ton1 unit used in measuring the carrying capacity of a ship, orig. space occupied by a tun of wine XIV; measure of capacity for solid commodities XV; 20 cwt. Identical in origin with TUN, of which it is a differentiated var. established in these senses since late XVII.

Ton

views updated May 23 2018

Ton (Ger.). Pitch, key, mode, note, sound, mus., e.g. Tonfarbe, tone-colour; Tonkunst, tonal art (i.e. mus.), Tondichtung, tone-poem.

ton

views updated May 23 2018

ton2 the vogue, the mode. XVIII. — F. :- L. tonus TONE.

ton

views updated Jun 08 2018

ton (Fr.). Pitch, key, mode, tone, crook, sound, note; e.g. donner le ton, to give the pitch; ton de cor, horn crook.

TON

views updated May 23 2018

TON total organic nitrogen (in chemical analysis)