ratio

American  

[rey-shoh, -shee-oh] / ˈreɪ ʃoʊ, -ʃiˌoʊ /

noun

plural

ratios

1. the relation between two similar magnitudes with respect to the number of times the first contains the second.

   the ratio of 5 to 2, written 5:2 or 5/2.

2. proportional relation; rate.

   the ratio between acceptances and rejections.

3. Finance. the relative value of gold and silver in a bimetallic currency system.

4. Sometimes the ratio (on Twitter) the proportion of replies to a tweet compared to the combined number of retweets and likes, where a high ratio usually indicates a barrage of negative replies: LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

   How is the Twitter ratio any different from other kinds of outraged cybermobs?

   LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

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verb (used with object)

ratioed, ratio'd, ratioing

1. (on Twitter) to flood (a tweet or its author) with negative replies such that commenters as a group take control of the momentum and message away from the original poster.

   Political pundits trying to write provocative and edgy tweets are going to get ratioed sooner or later.

ratio British  

/ ˈreɪʃɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. a measure of the relative size of two classes expressible as a proportion

   the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 1

2. maths a quotient of two numbers or quantities See also proportion

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ratio Scientific  

/ rā′shō,rā′shē-ō′ /

1. A relationship between two quantities, normally expressed as the quotient of one divided by the other. For example, if a box contains six red marbles and four blue marbles, the ratio of red marbles to blue marbles is 6 to 4, also written 6:4. A ratio can also be expressed as a decimal or percentage.

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ratio Cultural  

1. An expression of the relative size of two numbers by showing one divided by the other.

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Usage

What else does ratio mean? On the social media platform Twitter, a ratio, or getting ratioed, is when replies to a tweet vastly outnumber likes or retweets. This means people are objecting to the tweet and considering its content bad.

Etymology

Origin of ratio

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ratiō “reckoning, account, calculation,” equivalent to rat-, past participle of rērī “to believe, think, imagine” + -iō, noun suffix from verb stems; -tion

Example Sentences

A lower operating ratio means the railroad is more efficient, spending less to generate each dollar of revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ratios remain on buy signals and will continue to do so as long as they are declining.

From MarketWatch

Finding the right size hasn’t been easy: UnitedHealth’s medical cost ratio—the amount it reimburses patients as a percent of insurance revenue—has risen for each of the past three years, pressuring margins.

From Barron's

By increasing the limits on your remaining cards, you replace the “missing” credit from the canceled account and prevent your overall usage ratio from spiking.

From MarketWatch

That temporarily boosts fees they collect and reduces the ratio of their debt to net assets, or leverage, a key risk measurement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• proportion
• quota
• rate
• scale