tonnage
tonnage Lexical Profile
tonnage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The weight in tons of something, especially of cargo or freight.
"The railway line was upgraded to handle the increased tonnage of coal from the mines."
The cargo-carrying capacity of a ship, or the total capacity of a fleet of ships, measured in tons of volume or displacement.
"The new container vessel has a gross tonnage that exceeds most ships in the merchant fleet."
A duty or tax charged per ton on cargo or on a vessel entering or leaving a port.
"Merchant captains were required to pay tonnage at the customs house before unloading their goods."
Word Nuance & Usage
In maritime contexts, 'tonnage' often refers to a ship's internal volumetric capacity (where one register ton equals 100 cubic feet) rather than its actual physical weight, though displacement tonnage does measure weight.
• Rhymes for tonnage
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Anglo-French 'tonnage' (originally spelled 'tunnage'), denoting a customs duty levied on each tun (large cask) of wine imported into England.