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Glite Dictionary
gross ton

gross ton

1 7.2
A British unit of weight equal to 2,240 pounds used in shipping
  • noun
  • /ɡrəʊs tɒn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tonelada bruta
  • But remember, you will be aboard a 4,000 gross ton yacht with a capacity of 106 guests.
  • gross tons over 4 million
  • gross ton ship
  • listed at 81,235 gross tons

Examples

  • So, one of the solutions that Pew sets forth, as do many others, is "advocating for a requirement that all vessels of 24 meters in length or 100 gross tons in weight have an IMO number as a vessel's unique vessel identification number..." 151

    Academic text (2017)

  • The new freighter has a capacity of 50,000 gross tons, making it one of the largest ships in the fleet.

  • Most cargo ships are measured in gross tons to determine their carrying capacity.

  • The vessel is rated at 100,000 gross tons, allowing it to transport a significant amount of freight.

Synonyms

ton
vsgross ton
  • UK
310 1.9

A British measure of weight equal to 2,240 pounds

is used mainly in shipping and freight rather than general use
long ton
vsgross ton
  • UK
7.5

A British unit of weight equal to 2,240 pounds

is used mainly in shipping and freight rather than in general measurements

Surface Forms

gross ton singular
gross tons plural

Morphology

gross + ton

The compound plainly combines 'gross' (total/whole) with 'ton' (a unit of weight), so a B1 learner who knows both words would reasonably infer it names a type of ton/weight measurement. However, the precise technical sense (the British/long ton of 2,240 lb and its specialised shipping usage) is specific and not predictable from the parts alone, so full comprehension requires prior exposure or domain knowledge.

Etymology

Gross ton comes from old ship talk: gross meant 'whole' and ton was a large unit of weight. So gross ton came to mean the full standard ship weight, today 2,240 pounds, used in British shipping.