ton noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of ton noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ton

noun
 
 
/tʌn/
 
/tʌn/
Idioms
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  1.  
    [countable]
    (plural tons, ton)
    a unit for measuring weight, in the UK 2 240 pounds (long ton) and in the US 2 000 pounds (short ton)
    • (informal) What have you got in this bag? It weighs a ton (= is very heavy).
    Some people now say ton even when they mean a metric ton or tonne, which is a different measure, equal to 1 000 kg, now used in most of the world except the US. compare tonneTopics Maths and measurementb2
  2. [countable] a unit for measuring the size of a ship. 1 ton is equal to 100 cubic feet.
  3.  
    tons
    [plural] (informal) a lot
    • They've got tons of money.
    • I've still got tons to do.
  4. a/the ton
     (British English, informal) 100, especially when connected with a speed of 100 miles per hour
    • He was caught doing a ton.
    5. Word OriginMiddle English: variant of tun, both spellings being used for the container and the weight. The senses were differentiated in the late 17th cent.
Idioms
like a ton of bricks
  1. (informal) very heavily; very severely
    • Disappointment hit her like a ton of bricks.
    • They came down on him like a ton of bricks (= criticized him very severely).
See ton in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee ton in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: ton

Nearby words

scarecrow
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Farming
C2
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