ton
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views updated May 23 2018ton1 / 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 / tôn/ •
n. fashionable style or distinction. ∎ (the ton) [treated as sing. or pl.] fashionable society.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
Ton
gale
views updated May 17 2018Ton
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.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms
ton
oxford
views updated May 23 2018ton1 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.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
Ton
oxford
views updated May 23 2018Ton (Ger.). Pitch, key, mode, note, sound, mus., e.g.
Tonfarbe, tone-colour;
Tonkunst, tonal art (i.e. mus.),
Tondichtung, tone-poem.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE
ton
oxford
views updated May 23 2018ton2 the vogue, the mode. XVIII. — F. :- L.
tonus TONE.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
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views updated Jun 08 2018ton (Fr.). Pitch, key, mode, tone, crook, sound, note; e.g.
donner le ton, to give the pitch;
ton de cor, horn crook.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE
TON
oxford
views updated May 23 2018TON total organic nitrogen (in chemical analysis)
The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH
