English Explanatory Dictionary

ton-mile

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A unit of measure expressed in number of short tons moved over a specific distance in miles.

Word forms

ton-mile ton-miles ton mile

Etymology

Compound of ton + mile, although, as with any such unit of measure (e.g., person-months, newton metres), the mathematical relationship of multiplication is simultaneously involved: X tons transported a distance of Y miles = X × Y = Z ton-miles. Attested since the 19th century in railway logistical usage; greatly increased in use by the logistics boom of World War II and the continued postwar development of advanced logistics.

Related words

available ton mile ton mileage
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