tonnage

noun

ton·​nage ˈtə-nij How to pronounce tonnage (audio)
1
a
: the cubical content of a merchant ship in units of 100 cubic feet
b
: the displacement of a warship
2
a
: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or produced
b
: impressively large amount or weight
3
: a duty formerly levied on every tun of wine imported into England
4
a
: a duty or impost on vessels based on cargo capacity
b
: a duty on goods per ton transported
5
: ships in terms of the total number of tons registered or carried or of their carrying capacity

Examples of tonnage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Air cargo tonnages, which includes both freight and mail transported by air, was down 9% for all carriers in December. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 And there’s tonnage, too, and also trade possibilities – for those motivated and creative enough. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024 Please note that this is a subjective list, although hard metrics such as total launches, tonnage to orbit, success rate, and more were all important factors in the decision. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2023 The historic tonnage estimate cannot be relied upon. Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2024 According to calculations from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russia has lost about 40 percent of its naval tonnage in the Black Sea since February 2022. Mark Cancian, Foreign Affairs, 8 Feb. 2024 This was a subjective list, although hard metrics such as total launches, tonnage to orbit, success rate, and more were all important factors in the decision. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2023 But much of that tonnage advantage is held in just eleven hulls, the ten 95,000-ton Nimitz class carriers and the single 100,000-ton Ford-class carrier. Jim Talent, National Review, 6 Jan. 2024 West Coast ports in October handled almost 34% of worldwide container trade into the U.S., measured in tonnage, up from just over 31% during October, 2022, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. Paul Berger, WSJ, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tonnage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in sense 3, from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tonne tun; in other senses, from ton entry 1 — more at tunnel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tonnage was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tonnage

Cite this Entry

“Tonnage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonnage. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tonnage

noun
ton·​nage ˈtən-ij How to pronounce tonnage (audio)
1
: a tax on ships based on tons carried
2
: ships in terms of the total number of tons that are or can be carried
3
: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or mined

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