ton
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms or 2,000 pounds.
a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms (metric ton) or 2,000/2,240 pounds (short/long ton).
Simple“The truck was carrying several tons of steel to the construction site.”
In context“The shipping container was rated to carry up to twenty tons of cargo, though the port authorities rarely allowed it to be filled to capacity.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a lot of something; a very large amount.
a figurative, hyperbolic expression for a large or overwhelming quantity.
Simple“I have a ton of homework to finish before I can go out tonight.”
In context“Despite having a ton of experience in the field, the consultant found the new software architecture surprisingly difficult to navigate.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
the number one hundred, especially a score in a game or a speed.
a colloquial term for the number one hundred, frequently used in the context of cricket scores or vehicle speeds.
Simple“The batsman was delighted to reach his ton before the end of the match.”
In context“He was caught doing a ton on the motorway and faced an immediate suspension of his driving licence.”
UsageOften used with the definite article as 'the ton' when referring to speed.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
the people who are considered fashionable or high-class.
the prevailing fashion or style; specifically, the elite or fashionable society of a particular period.
Simple“The young duchess was considered the leader of the ton that season.”
In context“In Regency novels, characters are often preoccupied with their standing among the ton and the strict social codes of the era.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is almost exclusively found in historical fiction or period dramas set in the 18th or 19th century.
“The bank moved more than 27 tonnes of physical gold from the US and Canada to Zeist.”
“DNB said on Wednesday that 86 tonnes of gold had been removed from the US and Canada in a complex operation that took several months.”
Variant of tun (“cask”), influenced by Old French tonne (“ton”).
Borrowed from French ton (“manner”), from Latin tonus. Doublet of tone, tune, and tonus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.