in arithmetic, the number resulting from the division of a greater number by a smaller, and which shows how often the smaller is contained in the greater, or how often the divisor is contained in the dividend. The word is formed from the Latin, quoties; q.d. How often is such a number contained in such another?

In division, as the divisor is to the dividend, so is unity to the quotient.—Thus the quotient of 12 divided by 3 is 4; which is thus disposed, 3) 12 (4 quotient. R

R, or r, a liquid consonant, being the 17th letter of our alphabet. Its sound is formed by a guttural extrusion of the breath vibrated through the mouth, with a sort of quivering motion of the tongue drawn from the teeth, and cannulated with the tip a little elevated towards the palate. In Greek words it is frequently aspirated with an h after it, as in rhaphody, rhetoric, &c.; otherwise it is always followed by a vowel at the beginning of words and syllables.

In the names of the ancients, R or RO signifies Roma; R.C. Romana civitas; R.G.C. rei gerendae causa; R.F.E.D. recte factum & dictum; R.G.F. regis filius; R.P. res publica, or Romani principis; and R.R.R.F.F.F. rei Romanae ruet ferro, fane, flammea.

Used as a numeral, R anciently stood for 80; and with a dash over it, thus R̄, for 80,000; but the Greek ρ, or ρ, signified too.

In the prescriptions of physicians, R or R stands for recipe, i.e., "take."