Other forms: tonnages
Tonnage is the weight or carrying capacity measured in tons. Gross tonnage, the tonnage of the fleet, sheer tonnage.
For ships it is a measure of volume rather than weight, which surprises everybody, and gross tonnage decides the crew, the fees and the rules a vessel falls under. In ordinary use it just means a large quantity.
1nountonnageThe weight or carrying capacity measured in tons.
“The port handles a huge tonnage of coal and grain every year.”
tonnage is a measure.
Old French tonnage comes from tonne, a cask, since ships were once rated by how many casks they held.
Old French
tonnage
English, today
tonnage
From Old French tonnage. Equivalent to tonne + age.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA