rate¹ / rāt/ • n. 1. a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against some other quantity or measure: the crime rate rose by 26 percent. ∎  the speed with which something moves, happens, or changes: your heart rate.2. a fixed price paid or charged for something, esp. goods or services: the basic rate of pay advertising rates. ∎  the amount of a charge or payment expressed as a percentage of some other amount, or as a basis of calculation: you'll find our current interest rate very competitive. ∎  (usu. rates) (in the UK) a tax on land and buildings paid to the local authority by a business, and formerly also by occupants of private property.• v. 1. [tr.] assign a standard or value to (something) according to a particular scale: they were asked to rate their ability at different driving maneuvers| [tr.] the hotel, rated four star, had no hot water and no sink plugs. ∎  [tr.] assign a standard, optimal, or limiting rating to (a piece of equipment): its fuel economy is rated at 25 miles a gallon in the city. ∎  Brit. assess the value of (a property) for the purpose of levying a local tax.2. [tr.] consider to be of a certain quality, standard, or rank: he rates the company's stock a “buy.” | [tr.] the program has been rated a great success. ∎  [intr.] be regarded in a specified way: Jeff still rates as one of the nicest people I have ever met. ∎  [tr.] be worthy of; merit: the ambassador rated a bulletproof car and a police escort.PHRASES: at any rate whatever happens or may have happened: for the moment, at any rate, he was safe. ∎  used to indicate that one is correcting or clarifying a previous statement or emphasizing a following one: the story, or at any rate, a public version of it, was known and remembered.at this (or that) rate used to introduce the prediction of a particular unwelcome eventuality should things continue as they are or if a certain assumption is true: at this rate, I won't have a job to go back to.rate² • v. [tr.] archaic scold (someone) angrily: he rated the young man soundly for his want of respect.

Rate

A rate is a comparison of the change in one quantity, such as distance, temperature, weight, or time, to the change in a second quantity of this type. The comparison is often shown as a formula, a ratio, or a fraction, dividing the change in the first quantity by the change in the second quantity. When the changes being compared occur over a measurable period of time, their ratio determines an average rate of change. When the changes being compared both occur instantaneously, the rate is instantaneous.

One common and very important type of rate is the time rate of change. This type of rate compares the change in one quantity to a simultaneous change in time. Common examples of time rates of change are: birth rates, rates of speed, acceleration, pay, and interest rates. In each case, the rate is determined by dividing the change in a measured quantity (population, location, speed, and earnings, etc.) by the length of a corresponding elapsed time. For instance, distance traveled (change in location) compared to the length of time traveled (change in time) is rate of speed.

In all cases, a rate is specified by two units, one for each of the quantities being compared. For example, speed cannot be expressed in units of distance alone, such as miles or kilometers. It is necessary to say how many units of distance are traveled in a specific period of time, such as miles per hour or kilometers per second. So the units of a rate are also a ratio—a ratio of the units used to measure the two changes being compared.

Rate

A rate is a comparison of the change in one quantity, such as distance, temperature , weight, or time , to the change in a second quantity of this type. The comparison is often shown as a formula, a ratio , or a fraction, dividing the change in the first quantity by the change in the second quantity. When the changes being compared occur over a measurable period of time, their ratio determines an average rate of change. When the changes being compared both occur instantaneously, the rate is instantaneous.

One common and very important type of rate is the time rate of change. This type of rate compares the change in one quantity to a simultaneous change in time. Common examples of time rates of change are: birth rates, rates of speed, rates of acceleration , rates of pay, and interest rates. In each case, the rate is determined by dividing the change in a measured quantity (population, location, speed, and earnings, etc.) by the length of a corresponding elapsed time. For instance, distance traveled (change in location) compared to the length of time traveled (change in time) is rate of speed.

In all cases, a rate is specified by two units, one for each of the quantities being compared. For example, speed cannot be expressed in units of distance alone, such as miles or kilometers. It is necessary to say how many units of distance are traveled in a specific period of time, such as miles per hour or kilometers per second. So the units of a rate are also a ratio—a ratio of the units used to measure the two changes being compared.

rate
1. of a code. For any (n, k) block code or convolutional code, the value defined as R = k/n

It is a measure of “efficiency” in the sense that the more redundancy there is in the code, the lower the rate. On the other hand, high redundancy may bring about greater efficiency in detecting or correcting errors. Thus the rate measures only one aspect of the overall efficiency.

2. See data transfer rate.

rate1
A. †estimated quantity or worth XV; †price XVI;

B. quantity in relation to another, value of one thing in respect of that of another XV; fixed relative charge XVI; degree of speed XVII; relative amount of variation XIX;

C. †standard, measure XV; class (as of ships) XVII. — OF. — medL. rata (evolved from phr. pro ratā, short for pro ratā parte or portiōne according to an estimated or fixed part, proportionally), fem. of ratus fixed (see RATIFY).
Hence rate vb. †fix the amount of, allot XV; estimate, reckon, assess XVI.