1. a unit of explosive force equal to that of 1,000 tons of TNT
Usage: military; nuclear weapons
2. a unit of weight equal to 1,000 tons
Usage: shipping; industrial

Examples

• The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15 kilotons.
• Nuclear weapons are measured in kilotons or megatons of explosive power.
• The cargo ship can carry up to 50 kilotons of freight.
• Scientists estimated the asteroid impact released energy equivalent to several kilotons of TNT.
• The test explosion measured 20 kilotons, smaller than expected.
• Modern nuclear warheads range from a few kilotons to hundreds of kilotons.
• The mining operation processes several kilotons of ore daily.