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

For every one gigabyte of HBM, the memory makers lose the capacity for three gigabytes of DDR memory, a ratio that is set to rise with the next generation of HBM.

From Barron's

Rates are again expected to be left unchanged in December, though officials have signaled a willingness to cut policy rates or reserve requirement ratios if conditions warrant.

From The Wall Street Journal

The price-to-income ratio for a median home now is nearly double what it was when their parents and grandparents were buying in the 1980s and 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lower valuation ratios and lower capital returns, which could make it more difficult to finance defense innovations, are, admittedly, a worst-case scenario.

From Barron's

That implies the six largest banks in Canada would still have to maintain a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 11.5%, a level each has long surpassed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• proportion
• quota
• rate
• scale