ton

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
ton1 /tʌn/ (abbrev.: t, also US tn)

▶noun

• 1 (also long ton) a unit of weight equal to 2,240 lb avoirdupois (1016.05 kg).

• 2 (also short ton) chiefly N. Amer. a unit of weight equal to 2,000 lb avoirdupois (907.19 kg).

• 3 short for metric ton.

• 4 (also displacement ton) a unit of measurement of a ship's weight representing the weight of water it displaces with the load line just immersed, equal to 2,240 lb or 35 cu. ft (0.99 cubic metres).

• 5 (also freight ton) a unit of weight or volume of sea cargo, equal to a metric ton (1,000 kg) or 40 cu. ft.

• 6 (also gross ton) a unit of gross internal capacity, equal to 100 cu. ft (2.83 cubic metres).

  ■ (also net or register ton) an equivalent unit of net internal capacity.

• 7 a unit of refrigerating power able to freeze 2,000 lb of water at 0°C in 24 hours.

• 8 a measure of capacity for various materials, especially 40 cu. ft of wood.

• 9 informal a large number or amount.

• 10 Brit. informal a hundred, in particular a speed of 100 mph, a score of 100 or more, or a sum of £100.

▶adverb (tons) Brit. informal much; a lot: I feel tons better.

– origin ME: var. of tun, both spellings being used for the container and the weight.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
ton2 /tɒ̃/

▶noun

• 1 fashionable style or distinction.

• 2 (the ton) [treated as sing. or pl.] fashionable society.

– origin Fr., from L. tonus (see tone).