English

Noun

metric ton ‎(plural metric tons)

1. A tonne, a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms.
   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion:

     One typical Grecian kiln engorged one thousand muleloads of juniper wood in a single burn. Fifty such kilns would devour six thousand metric tons of trees and brush annually.

Usage notes

• Often used to avoid confusion between the tonne and the (long) ton, which are almost equal (about 2204.6 pounds and exactly 2240 pounds respectively).

Synonyms

• tonne
• megagram
• MT (U.S. abbreviation)

Translations