kiloton

noun

ki·​lo·​ton ˈki-lə-ˌtən 

ˈkē-lə-,

 also  -ˌtän

1

: 1000 tons

2

: an explosive force equivalent to that of 1000 tons of TNT

Examples of kiloton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blasts once measured in kilotons are now measured in megatons, and warheads once dropped by slow-flying bombers are now delivered by fast-flying and deadly accurate ballistic missiles. —Anthony Lake, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2024

For example, in Rwanda, egg consumption grew by 67% between 2010 and 2020, while Ghana attained record high egg production of 51.5 kilotons in 2020. —Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

The most recent notable asteroid to strike Earth exploded in the skies over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, releasing energy equivalent to about 440 kilotons of TNT and injuring more than 1,600 people. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 16 July 2024

Those older bombs, which struck the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, packed the equivalent of 15 and 21 kilotons of TNT, respectively. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

kiloton

noun

ki·​lo·​ton ˈkil-ə-ˌtən 

ˈkē-lə-,

 also  -ˌtän

1

: 1000 tons

2

: an explosive force equivalent to that of 1000 tons of TNT