: a ratio indicating the relation of the volume of carbon dioxide given off in respiration to that of the oxygen consumed
Word History
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
respiratory quotient
noun
: the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide given off in respiration to that of the oxygen consumed that has a value near 1 when the organism is burning chiefly carbohydrates, near 0.7 when chiefly fats, and near 0.8 when chiefly proteins but sometimes exceeding 1 when carbohydrates are being changed to fats for storage—abbreviation RQ