Dictionary

TNT en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

All senses by acronymy or initialism formation or by metonymic relation thereto. The third sense is an initialism of Tagalog tago nang tago (literally “hide and hide”).

Meanings

1. (abbreviation, alt-of) Abbreviation of trinitrotoluene (an explosive substance used in blasting)
   alt of trinitrotoluene
   • "We have grown accustomed to a deadly paradox: the world's greatest megatonnage of TNT is buried in the heart of the earth's most productive agricultural area. 1988 September 9, Harold Henderson, “The City File”, in Chicago Reader:
2. (informal, qualifier:erroneous) Dynamite or any weak explosive.
3. (Philippines, informal) An illegal immigrant.
   • These illegal immigrants are popularly known as “TNTs,” or tago ng tago (literally, “hide and hide”). Some married American citizens to legalize their stay, while others paid for “green card” marriages. 2009, Joaquin Jay Gonzalez, Filipino American Faith in Action: Immigration, Religion, and Civic Engagement, NYU Press, →ISBN, page 24:

Forms

Coordinates

TNG

Deriveds

ton of TNT · TNT equivalent

Hypernyms

explosive

wikidata: Q170167

TNT en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

All senses by acronymy or initialism formation or by metonymic relation thereto. The third sense is an initialism of Tagalog tago nang tago (literally “hide and hide”).

Meanings

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of Turner Network Television, a U.S. television channel.
   alt of Turner Network Television