Ton Meaning
/tʌn/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of various units of mass, originally notionally equal to the contents of a tun
nounAny of various units of mass, originally notionally equal to the contents of a tun, The short ton of 2000 pounds (about 907 kg), 20 hundredweights of 100 pounds avoirdupois each.
Sentence Examples
This box weighs a ton. What's inside?
He fell for that old ad for a house like a ton of bricks.
The truck carried more than a ton of sand to the construction site.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The truck can carry up to one ____ of heavy sand.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large truck was carrying more than a ____ of fresh vegetables to the central market.
Word Origin & History
Variant of tun (“cask”), influenced by Old French tonne (“ton”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Speed along the lane / Do a ton or a ton and twenty-five"
— 1970, Mungo Jerry, “In The Summertime”, in In The Summertime:
"So the old Rocker gets out his bike
To make a ton before he takes his leave."
— 1976, “Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die”, in Ian Anderson (lyrics), Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, performed by Jethro Tull:
"Neil: How fast can this thing go then, do you reckon?
Simon: Well, it's the special edition, so I reckon it could probably top a ton.
Neil: Bollocks!"
— 2008, Damon Beesley, Iain Morris, “Caravan Club”, in The Inbetweeners, Series 1, Episode 5, E4:
"The HSDT team, however, had some work to do, although by the end of 1972 the power car interior had been adjusted and BR had agreed to 'double-manning' with extra pay when speeds topped the ton."
— 2021 October 6, Greg Morse, “A need for speed and the drive for 125”, in RAIL, number 941, page 50:
"A clergyman cannot be high in state or fashion. He must not head mobs, or set the ton in dress."
— 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 191:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The truck can carry up to one ____ of heavy sand.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large truck was carrying more than a ____ of fresh vegetables to the central market.