A metric unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms, used mainly outside the United States.
From French 'tonne,' which came from Old French 'tonne' meaning a large cask or barrel. The weight unit was based on how much a large barrel could hold, and the metric system standardized it to exactly 1,000 kilograms.
The British and most of the world use 'tonnes' while Americans say 'tons' (2,000 pounds), which is why international shipping and trade can get confusing—a tonne is actually about 10% heavier than an American ton!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.