{
    "term": "ton",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a unit for measuring weight, in the UK 2 240 pounds (long ton) and in the US 2 000 pounds (short ton)",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "What have you got in this bag? It **weighs a ton** *(= is very heavy)*."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Maths and measurement"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a unit for measuring the size of a ship. 1 ton is equal to 100 cubic feet.",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a lot",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They've got tons of money."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've still got tons to do."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "100, especially when connected with a speed of 100 miles per hour",
            "labels": "(British English, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was caught doing a ton."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very heavily; very severely",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Disappointment hit her like a ton of bricks."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They **came down on him like a ton of bricks** *(= criticized him very severely)*."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌn/",
                "audio": "to/ton/ton__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌn/",
                "audio": "to/ton/ton__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: variant of tun, both spellings being used for the container and the weight. The senses were differentiated in the late 17th cent."
}