Megaton
/ˈmɛɡəˌtʌn/noun
A unit of explosive yield equal to one million tons of TNT.
Did you know?The first element, mega-, comes from Greek for “great” or “large,” the same ancient root behind words like megaphone and megabyte, while ton entered English through French from Latin and originally meant a literal cask or tun.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέγας (mégas)
“great, large”
Late Latin
Latin
tonna
“a cask or tun, a large barrel”
Old French
French
tonne
“a large cask; later a measure of weight”
17th–19th Century
English
ton
“a unit of weight, originally tied to a tun-sized load”
20th Century
English
megaton
“a million tons; especially a measure of explosive yield”