noun
ton
tuhn
noun
1
A unit of weight — roughly 907 kg (short ton, US), 1016 kg (long ton, UK), or exactly 1000 kg (metric tonne).
"The truck can carry up to two tons of gravel."
"The ship displaces over ten thousand tons."
2
Informal: a huge or overwhelming amount of something.
"She has a ton of homework tonight."
"Thanks a ton for helping me move."
How to Use Ton
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the actual unit of weight, or, casually, "a huge amount."
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "tonne" — in everyday British English they're often used loosely, but a metric tonne (1000 kg) is technically distinct from an imperial ton.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a ton of bricks
tons of fun
weighs a ton
Word Forms
tons plural, tons plural
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The truck can carry up to two _____ of gravel.
Etymology
A variant of "tun" (a large cask), influenced by Old French tonne.