ton: [14] Ton originated as a variant of tun ‘barrel’ [OE]. At first it was used for a unit of capacity, equal to the space occupied by a tun of wine, but by the end of the 15th century we find it being applied to a unit of weight. Tun itself was acquired from medieval Latin tunna, which was probably of Gaulish origin. Another of its descendants was Old French tonne, whose diminutive tonel was borrowed into English as tunnel [15]. This was originally used for a ‘tubular net for catching birds’, and then for a ‘chimney flue’ or ‘funnel’. It was not applied to an ‘underground passage’ until as recently as the late 18th century. => tun, tunnel
ton (n.1)
"measure of weight," late 14c. The quantity necessary to fill a tun or cask of wine, thus identical to tun (q.v.). The spelling difference became firmly established 18c. Ton of bricks in the colloquial figurative sense of what you come down on someone like is from 1884.
ton (n.2)
"prevailing mode, style, fashionable ways," 1769, from French ton (see tone (n.)).
双语例句
1. Every year they panned about a ton and a half of gold.
每年他们淘出大约1.5吨金子。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The ship was permitted to tie up in Bos-ton harbour.