I. ˈrāˌshō, -_shēˌō noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin, reason, computation, reasoning — more at reason
1.
a. : the real ground or nature of a thing especially as determined by its relation to other things : rationale — compare pythagoreanism , reason
b. : the understanding or reason in Scholasticism that has the capacity to think discursively and make abstractions — compare intellect
2.
a. : the quotient of one quantity divided by another
b. : the fixed or approximate relation of one thing to another or between two or more things (as in number, quantity, or degree) : rate , proportion
the ratio between births and deaths
the 10:1 student-teacher ratio of the school
the ratio between stock prices, earnings, and dividends — Time
combining … in such ratio understanding of technics and of human rights — Roger Burlingame
specifically : specified proportion of ingredients (as in plant foods or fertilizers)
tomatoes were grown outdoors with … use of widely different nutrient ratios — Experiment Station Record
c. : the expression of the relative values of gold and silver as determined by the currency laws of a country — called also coinage ratio
3. archaic : ration , portion
furnished the … invaders with a ratio of biscuit and wine — Archibald Duncan
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: ratio , noun
: to compare especially numerically or quantitatively with another value or set of values : express in a ratio