TNT
nounEtymology 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”).
1
Abbreviation Abbreviation of trinitrotoluene (an explosive substance used in blasting)
- "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 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:
- Derived terms
- TNT equivalent, ton of TNT