gear ratio

American  

noun

Machinery.

1. the ratio of the rotational speeds of the first and final gears in a train of gears or of any two meshing gears.

2. the ratio of the diameters of the pitch surfaces of any two meshing gears or of the numbers of their teeth.

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Etymology

Origin of gear ratio

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Turbo mode can quickly overwhelm the bike’s single-speed gear ratio, however.

From The Verge • Jul. 17, 2019

But if you think post-apocalyptically, that gear ratio means a very efficient bike for carrying heavy loads.

From Slate • Sep. 16, 2013

They have no brakes and a fixed gear ratio that means the pedals will always be turning whether our legs want them to be or not.

From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2012

The gear ratio is 3.6:1; capacity is 450 yards of 30-pound line.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mowers cut more rapidly and lower than did reapers, and thus they used a different gear ratio; however, farmers sometimes used reapers for mowing.

From Agricultural Implements and Machines in the Collection of the National Museum of History and Technology Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No. 17 by Schlebecker, John T.