Poisson's ratio
or Poisson ratio
noun Physics.
the ratio, in an elastic body under longitudinal stress, of the transverse strain to the longitudinal strain.
Origin of Poisson's ratio
First recorded in 1925–30; see origin at
Poisson distribution
British Dictionary definitions for poisson's ratio
Poisson's ratio
noun
a measure of the elastic properties of a material expressed as the ratio of the fractional contraction in breadth to the fractional increase in length when the material is stretched
Symbol: μ, ν