Finance, Math & Health Glossary
Plain-English definitions for every term used across our calculators and converters - including formulas, worked examples, and links to the relevant tool.
A
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA restated to exclude non-recurring, non-cash, or one-off items. It represents the normalised operating profitability of a business, stripped of distortions.
Arithmetic
Arithmetic is the branch of mathematics covering the four basic operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These operations, and the rules governing their order (PEMDAS/BODMAS), underpin every calculation on this site: percentages, ratios, fractions, and all compound formulas.
Adiposity Rebound
Adiposity rebound is the natural rise in BMI that occurs in early childhood after an initial dip. BMI falls from infancy to a minimum (the adiposity nadir) typically between ages 4 and 6, then rises again. Children whose rebound begins before age 5 have a substantially higher risk of adult obesity, even when their current BMI percentile appears normal.
Adiposity Nadir
The adiposity nadir is the lowest point in a child's BMI trajectory, typically occurring between ages 4 and 6. After this minimum, BMI rises again in the phase known as adiposity rebound. The age at which the nadir occurs is a stronger predictor of adult obesity risk than the BMI value at that age.
Avoirdupois System
The avoirdupois system is the standard weight system used for everyday goods in the US and UK. Built around the pound (453.592 g) with 16 ounces per pound, it is the default meaning of "pound" and "ounce" in everyday English - distinct from the troy system (used for precious metals, where 1 troy ounce = 31.1 g) and from metric.
Arbeidskorting (Employment Tax Credit)
The arbeidskorting is a Dutch employment tax credit that rewards work income. In 2026 it builds to a maximum of €5,685 at €45,592 gross income, then phases out at 6.51% per euro until it reaches zero at €132,920. It reduces income tax owed directly and is not available to the unemployed or self-employed.
B
Break-Even Point
The break-even point is the level of sales at which total revenue exactly equals total costs - producing neither profit nor loss. It is the minimum volume a business must reach before generating operating profit.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a weight-to-height ratio used to classify adults as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. It is the most widely used population-level screening tool for weight status.
BMI Percentile
BMI percentile is the standard method for interpreting BMI in children aged 2–19. Rather than applying fixed adult thresholds, a child's BMI is ranked against a reference population of the same age and gender using the CDC 2000 growth charts. Healthy weight is the 5th to 85th percentile; overweight is 85th–95th; obese is 95th and above.
Body Composition
Body composition is the proportional breakdown of the body into fat mass and lean mass (muscle, bone, water, organs). It is a more complete health indicator than body weight or BMI alone.
Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage is the proportion of total body weight that consists of fat tissue. It is a more accurate health marker than BMI because it distinguishes fat mass from lean mass.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) estimates body fat and lean mass by passing a small electrical current through the body. Fat tissue resists the current more than muscle and water; the measured resistance is fed into prediction equations to derive body fat percentage.
Box 1 Income Tax (Netherlands)
Box 1 is the Dutch income tax category for employment and home ownership income. In 2026 it has three brackets: 35.75% up to €38,883, 37.56% up to €78,426, and 49.50% above. The first bracket rate embeds national social insurance premiums (AOW, ANW, WLZ). Tax credits reduce the final liability.
C
Capital Expenditure (CapEx)
Capital Expenditure (CapEx) is spending on physical assets - property, plant, and equipment - that will be used for more than one year. It appears on the cash flow statement, not the income statement.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A CDN is a globally distributed network of servers that delivers files to users from the location nearest to them, reducing load time. On this site, some tools load large third-party libraries (such as Tesseract.js, SheetJS, and PDF.js) from a CDN instead of bundling them.
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is the total direct cost of producing the goods or services a company sells. It includes raw materials, direct labour, and manufacturing overhead, but not SG&A or R&D.
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is the annualised rate at which an investment would have grown if it compounded at a steady pace each year. It smooths out year-to-year volatility to give a single comparable growth rate.
Compound Interest
Compound interest is interest calculated on both the original principal and all accumulated interest from prior periods. It causes wealth to grow exponentially over time - and debt to escalate at the same pace if left unpaid.
Contribution Margin
Contribution Margin is revenue minus all variable costs - the amount each sale contributes toward covering fixed costs and then generating profit. It is the foundation of break-even analysis and per-product profitability decisions.
Current Ratio
The current ratio measures a company's ability to pay its short-term obligations using its short-term assets. A ratio above 1.0 means current assets exceed current liabilities; below 1.0 indicates potential liquidity risk.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
CPC (Cost Per Click) is the amount a publisher earns each time a visitor clicks an ad on their website. In Google AdSense, CPC is the net figure after Google's revenue share - approximately 68% of what the advertiser paid per click.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
CTR (Click-Through Rate) is the percentage of page views that result in an ad click. It is calculated as (total clicks / total impressions) x 100. A CTR of 1-3% is typical for content sites using Google AdSense banner ads.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)
A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is an automatic salary or benefit increase tied to a price index - usually the Consumer Price Index (CPI) - to preserve purchasing power as prices rise. Social Security applies an annual COLA; many employers issue a COLA separately from merit increases.
D
Denominator
The denominator is the bottom number in a fraction - it defines how many equal parts the whole has been divided into. In percentage formulas, the denominator is always the original (reference) value. Using the wrong denominator is the single most common percentage calculation error.
Depreciation & Amortization (D&A)
Depreciation & Amortization (D&A) is the systematic expensing of tangible assets (depreciation) and intangible assets (amortization) over their useful lives. D&A is a non-cash charge that reduces reported profit without reducing cash.
E
EBIT
EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Tax) is a company's operating profit - the profit generated from core business operations before financing costs (interest) and government levies (tax) are applied.
EBITDA
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) measures core operating profitability. It is the most widely used metric in business valuation, M&A analysis, and credit assessment.
EBITDA Margin
EBITDA Margin is EBITDA expressed as a percentage of revenue. It measures how much operating profit - before financing, taxes, and non-cash charges - is generated from each dollar of revenue.
EBT (Earnings Before Tax)
EBT (Earnings Before Tax) is pre-tax profit - the income remaining after all operating costs and interest expenses but before income tax is applied. It is the most useful metric for comparing profitability across different tax jurisdictions.
Effective Tax Rate
The Effective Tax Rate is the actual percentage of pre-tax income (EBT) paid in income tax. It differs from the statutory rate because of deductions, credits, loss carry-forwards, and deferred tax items.
Enterprise Value (EV)
Enterprise Value (EV) is the total market value of a company - equity plus net debt. It represents what an acquirer would pay to buy the entire business, including taking on its debt and receiving its cash.
EV/EBITDA
EV/EBITDA is a valuation multiple that compares a company's Enterprise Value to its EBITDA. It answers the question: how many years of current EBITDA would it take to pay for the entire business?
Earnings Per Share (EPS)
Earnings Per Share (EPS) is a company's net income divided by the number of shares outstanding. It converts total profit into a per-share figure that enables comparison across differently-sized companies and forms the denominator of the P/E ratio.
Estrogen
Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone, present in both sexes. In men, the main source is peripheral conversion of testosterone to estradiol by the aromatase enzyme in fat tissue. When body fat rises, aromatase activity increases, shifting the testosterone-to-estrogen balance and suppressing HPG-axis testosterone production.
F
Free Cash Flow (FCF)
Free Cash Flow (FCF) is the cash generated by a business after funding its capital expenditure. It is the amount available to pay dividends, repay debt, buy back shares, or reinvest - the truest measure of a company's cash-generating ability.
Fraction
A fraction represents a part of a whole as a ratio of two integers: a numerator (top) and a denominator (bottom). Fractions, decimals, and percentages are three equivalent ways to express the same ratio.
FFMI (Fat-Free Mass Index)
FFMI (Fat-Free Mass Index) is lean body mass divided by height squared - the muscle-equivalent of BMI. It measures muscularity relative to frame size, independent of body fat percentage.
Fetal Age
Fetal age (also called embryonic age or fertilization age) is the age of an embryo or fetus counted from the date of fertilization, roughly two weeks less than gestational age. A baby delivered at term is approximately 38 weeks fetal age, though doctors universally record 40 weeks gestational age.
FLSA Duties Test
The FLSA Duties Test is the legal analysis that determines whether a salaried employee earning above the $684/week salary threshold qualifies for one of five white-collar overtime exemptions. Both the salary test and the duties test must be satisfied - passing only one is not enough to establish exempt status.
FICA Taxes
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes are mandatory US payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare. Employees pay 7.65% of wages - 6.2% for Social Security (on wages up to $176,100 in 2025) and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. Employers pay an equal 7.65% match.
G
Gross Profit
Gross Profit is revenue minus Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). It is the first profitability figure on an income statement and shows how much money is left after paying direct production costs.
Gross Profit Margin
Gross Profit Margin is Gross Profit expressed as a percentage of revenue. It measures pricing power and production efficiency - the percentage of each revenue dollar that survives after paying direct costs.
GCD (Greatest Common Divisor)
The GCD (Greatest Common Divisor) of two integers is the largest positive integer that divides both numbers without a remainder. In fraction arithmetic, dividing both numerator and denominator by their GCD reduces a fraction to its lowest terms - a required final step after any fraction calculation.
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
GST (Goods and Services Tax) is the name used in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and Singapore for a tax that works identically to VAT - collected at each stage of production with businesses reclaiming input tax. The math and mechanics are the same; only the name differs.
Gross Pay
Gross pay is the total amount earned before any deductions - income tax, Social Security, Medicare, health insurance premiums, or retirement contributions. It is the figure quoted in salary offers and used to calculate hourly rates.
Geriatric BMI
Geriatric BMI refers to the age-specific interpretation of BMI for adults 65 and over. Geriatric guidelines (ESPEN) recommend an optimal range of 23-27.5 - higher than the standard adult range of 18.5-24.9 - because low body weight carries greater health risk in older adults and a BMI of 25-30 does not carry the same mortality increase as at younger ages.
Gestational Age
Gestational age is the age of a pregnancy measured in weeks and days from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP). A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks of gestational age. It differs from fetal age (counted from conception) by approximately two weeks.
Gestational Weight Gain
Gestational weight gain (GWG) is the total weight gained from conception to delivery. The IOM 2009 guidelines set category-specific targets based on pre-pregnancy BMI: underweight (12.5-18 kg), normal weight (11.5-16 kg), overweight (7-11.5 kg), and obese (5-9 kg) for singleton pregnancies.
H
Head of Household (HOH)
Head of Household (HOH) is a US federal tax filing status for unmarried taxpayers who pay more than half the cost of a home for a qualifying person. HOH uses wider tax brackets than single filing and a $22,500 standard deduction in 2025, making it the most advantageous status for eligible single parents and caregivers.
Heffingskorting (Tax Credit)
A heffingskorting is a Dutch tax credit that reduces the income tax owed directly - not the taxable income. The two main credits are the algemene heffingskorting (general credit, max €3,115) and the arbeidskorting (employment credit, max €5,685). Both phase out at higher incomes.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supplements declining estrogen and progesterone to reduce menopausal symptoms and slow post-menopausal body composition changes. Estrogen-containing HRT tends to reduce visceral fat accumulation and preserve lean muscle mass, meaning two women at the same BMI may have different metabolic risk profiles depending on their HRT status.
HST (Harmonised Sales Tax)
HST (Harmonised Sales Tax) is a blended federal-provincial consumption tax used in five Canadian provinces - Ontario (13%), New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island (all 15%). It merges the 5% federal GST with the provincial portion into one rate, administered and remitted through the Canada Revenue Agency.
I
Ideal Body Weight (IBW)
Ideal Body Weight (IBW) is a clinical estimate of target weight based on height and sex, derived from the Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi formulas. It was originally developed for drug dosing, not fitness targets.
Interest Expense
Interest expense is the cost a company pays to lenders for borrowed capital. It sits between EBIT and EBT on the income statement and is the key driver of the gap between operating profit and pre-tax profit.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate at which the net present value of all cash flows from an investment equals zero. It is the implied annual return of a project - if IRR exceeds your hurdle rate, the investment creates value.
Imperial System
The imperial system is the traditional British system of units - inches, feet, yards, miles, ounces, pounds, stones, pints, gallons - spread by the British Empire. It uses irregular conversion ratios (12 inches per foot, 16 ounces per pound, 1,760 yards per mile) rather than a consistent decimal base. Still the primary everyday system in the United States.
K
Knot (kn)
A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour - exactly 1.852 km/h or 1.151 mph. It is the international standard speed unit in aviation and maritime navigation.
L
Lean Body Mass (LBM)
Lean Body Mass (LBM) is total body weight minus fat mass - everything that is not fat: muscle, bone, organs, blood, skin, and water. LBM drives basal metabolic rate and is the basis for drug dosing calculations.
LCD (Lowest Common Denominator)
The LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) is the smallest number that both denominators divide into evenly. It equals the LCM of the two denominators and is the standard denominator used when adding or subtracting fractions - converting both fractions to the LCD makes their part sizes identical so numerators can be added directly.
LCM (Lowest Common Multiple)
The LCM (Lowest Common Multiple) of two integers is the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of both. In fraction arithmetic, the LCM of two denominators equals the LCD - the smallest shared denominator that allows both fractions to be added or subtracted directly.
Leap Year
A leap year is a calendar year containing 366 days instead of the standard 365, achieved by adding February 29. The extra day corrects the drift between the 365-day calendar year and the 365.2422-day astronomical year. Without leap years the calendar would drift by roughly one full day every four years - 25 days per century.
M
Mach Number
A Mach number is the ratio of an object's speed to the local speed of sound. Mach 1 is approximately 1,225 km/h (761 mph) at sea level and 15°C. Aircraft exceeding Mach 1 are supersonic.
Merit Increase
A merit increase is a salary raise awarded based on individual job performance, distinct from cost-of-living adjustments. U.S. employers typically budget separate merit pools of 3-5%, distributed according to performance ratings, with high performers receiving a larger share.
Married Filing Jointly (MFJ)
Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) is a US federal tax filing status for legally married couples who combine both spouses' income on a single return. MFJ uses wider tax brackets than single filers, reducing the total tax bill for most couples. About 38% of all US tax returns are filed jointly.
Married Filing Separately (MFS)
Married Filing Separately (MFS) is a US federal tax filing status where each spouse files an independent return using single-style tax brackets and a $15,000 standard deduction. MFS nearly always produces a higher combined tax bill than MFJ but can lower individual AGI for income-driven student loan repayment or protect one spouse from the other's tax liabilities.
Marginal Tax Rate
The marginal tax rate is the rate applied to the next dollar of income earned - the highest tax bracket you currently fall into. Because the US uses a progressive bracket system, only the income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate. A $60,000 single filer in 2025 has a 22% marginal rate but pays an effective rate of roughly 13.5%.
Multiple on Invested Capital (MOIC)
Multiple on Invested Capital (MOIC) measures total value returned relative to total capital invested, expressed as a multiple. A 3.0x MOIC means every dollar invested returned three dollars. It is the primary return metric in private equity and venture capital.
Mid-Market Rate
The mid-market rate is the midpoint between the buy (bid) and sell (ask) prices for a currency pair on the global foreign exchange market. Also called the interbank rate or spot rate, it is the rate banks use when trading with each other - with no retail markup added.
Metric System
The metric system is the international decimal system of measurement, formally known as the International System of Units (SI). Every unit is linked by powers of 10 using standard prefixes (kilo-, centi-, milli-). Used officially in 195 of 196 countries, it is the global standard for science, medicine, and international trade.
N
Net Income
Net Income is a company's bottom-line profit - revenue minus every expense including COGS, operating costs, interest, and tax. It is the figure reported as EPS (Earnings Per Share) for public companies.
Net Profit Margin
Net Profit Margin is Net Income as a percentage of revenue. It is the most comprehensive profitability ratio - the percentage of each revenue dollar that ultimately belongs to shareholders after all costs.
Numerator
The numerator is the top number in a fraction - it counts how many equal parts are selected. In a percentage formula, the numerator is the change or the part being measured. It is always paired with the denominator, which defines the total number of parts.
Nautical Mile (nmi)
A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters - one arcminute of latitude on Earth's surface. This geometric link to latitude makes it the standard distance unit for aviation and maritime navigation worldwide.
Naegele's Rule
Naegele's rule is the standard formula for estimating a pregnancy due date: add 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of the last menstrual period. It was established by German obstetrician Franz Karl Naegele in 1812 and remains the universal clinical standard today.
Net Pay
Net pay is take-home pay - the amount deposited into your bank account after all mandatory and voluntary deductions are removed from gross pay. For most US workers, net pay is 65-75% of gross pay depending on tax bracket and benefit elections.
Normal Weight Obesity (NWO)
Normal weight obesity (NWO) is a condition where BMI falls in the normal range (18.5-24.9) but body fat percentage is clinically elevated - above 30% in women, above 25% in men. Because BMI cannot distinguish fat from muscle, a person with low muscle mass can carry obesity-level body fat at a normal weight.
Net Present Value (NPV)
Net Present Value (NPV) is the sum of all investment cash flows discounted to today's value using a chosen rate. A positive NPV means the project earns more than its cost of capital and creates value; a negative NPV destroys value.
O
Operating Expenses (OpEx)
Operating Expenses (OpEx) are the ongoing costs of running the business that are not directly tied to production. They include SG&A, R&D, and depreciation of operating assets - but not interest or tax.
Operating Profit
Operating Profit (also called EBIT) is the profit generated from core business operations after deducting COGS and all operating expenses, but before interest and tax. It isolates operational performance from financing and tax effects.
Operating Profit Margin
Operating Profit Margin (also called EBIT Margin) is Operating Profit as a percentage of revenue. It shows how efficiently a business converts revenue into operating profit, excluding financing and tax effects.
Operating Cash Flow (OCF)
Operating Cash Flow (OCF) is the cash generated by a company's core business operations in a given period, before capital expenditure. It is the subtotal of the "Cash from Operating Activities" section on the cash flow statement and the starting point for the Free Cash Flow calculation.
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the branch of medicine that covers pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and the postpartum period. An obstetrician (OB) manages prenatal care, monitors fetal development, delivers babies, and treats pregnancy complications. It is commonly practiced alongside gynecology as OB/GYN.
Overtime Pay
Overtime pay is the additional compensation earned for hours worked beyond a set threshold - typically 40 hours per week in the US. Under the FLSA, non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5 times their regular rate for overtime hours.
P
Pay Period
A pay period is the recurring length of time for which an employer calculates and pays wages. Common types are weekly, bi-weekly (every two weeks), semi-monthly (twice a month), and monthly. Bi-weekly gives 26 pay cheques per year; semi-monthly gives 24.
Pareto Principle
The Pareto principle (80/20 rule) states that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of inputs. In ratio terms, 80:20 simplifies to 4:1 - the high-impact group is four times as productive per unit as the rest. Named after economist Vilfredo Pareto, who in 1896 observed this distribution in Italian land ownership.
Payback Period
The payback period is the time required for cumulative savings or income from an investment to equal its upfront cost. It answers "when do I break even?" - not how much profit an investment generates (that is ROI), but simply how long until the cost is fully recovered.
Principal and Interest (P&I)
Principal and Interest (P&I) are the two components of a fixed-rate amortising loan payment. Principal reduces the outstanding balance; interest is the cost charged on that balance. Early payments are mostly interest; later payments are mostly principal - a shift called amortisation.
P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings)
The P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings) is a stock's price divided by its annual earnings per share. It answers: how many dollars are investors paying for each dollar of profit? A higher P/E reflects higher growth expectations - or higher risk.
Percentage
A percentage is a ratio expressed as a fraction of 100, using the symbol %. It is the universal language for expressing proportions - placing values of vastly different scales on a common 0–100 reference.
Percentage Change
Percentage change measures how much a quantity has increased or decreased relative to its original value. A positive result is a gain; a negative result is a loss.
Percentage Decrease
Percentage decrease measures how much a value has fallen relative to its original value. The result is always positive - the direction is implied. A value cannot decrease by more than 100% of itself.
Percentage Difference
Percentage difference measures the relative gap between two values using their average as the base. Unlike percentage change, it is symmetric - the result is the same regardless of which value comes first.
Percentage Increase
Percentage increase measures how much a value has grown relative to its original value. It is the standard way to express growth - revenue growth, price increases, population growth.
Percentage Point
A percentage point (pp) is the arithmetic difference between two percentage values. Rising from 3% to 5% is a 2 pp increase - and also a 66.7% relative increase. These describe the same event in very different ways.
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause when ovarian function declines and estrogen levels become irregular. It typically begins in the mid-40s and lasts 4-8 years, during which BMI can remain stable while body fat redistributes and cardiometabolic risk begins to rise.
Phi (φ)
Phi (φ) ≈ 1.6180339887 is the golden ratio - the unique irrational number satisfying φ² = φ + 1. It defines the proportion (a+b)/a = a/b and appears in Fibonacci sequences, geometry, typography, and design.
Proportion
A proportion is a statement that two ratios are equal: a/b = c/d. It is solved using cross-multiplication and underlies scaling, unit conversion, recipe adjustment, and similar-triangle geometry.
R
Revenue
Revenue (also called "the top line" or "turnover") is the total income earned from selling goods or services before any costs are deducted. Every profitability metric - gross margin, EBITDA, net profit - is derived from revenue.
R&D (Research and Development)
R&D (Research and Development) expense is the cost of activities aimed at discovering new products, processes, or technologies. Under US GAAP, nearly all R&D costs are expensed immediately - reducing reported profit even though the spending may generate competitive advantages for years.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Return on Investment (ROI) measures the net gain or loss on an investment relative to its cost, expressed as a percentage. It is the simplest and most universal metric for comparing the efficiency of different investments.
Return on Equity (ROE)
Return on Equity (ROE) measures how much net income a company generates for each dollar of shareholders' equity. It is the primary gauge of management's efficiency in using invested capital to create profit.
Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)
ROCE measures how much operating profit (EBIT) a business generates per dollar of long-term capital deployed - both equity and long-term debt. Unlike ROE, it is unaffected by capital structure, making it the standard comparison metric for capital-intensive industries.
Return on Assets (ROA)
Return on Assets (ROA) measures how much net income a company generates for each dollar of total assets - both debt-funded and equity-funded. Because it uses total assets rather than equity alone, ROA is unaffected by leverage and is the cleanest cross-company comparison of operational efficiency.
Ratio
A ratio compares two or more quantities, showing their relative sizes. Written as a:b or a/b, it is the foundation for fractions, percentages, rates, and proportions - the core language of proportional reasoning.
Reciprocal
The reciprocal of a fraction a/b is b/a - formed by swapping numerator and denominator. Any non-zero number multiplied by its reciprocal equals 1. Reciprocals are the foundation of fraction division: dividing by a fraction is identical to multiplying by its reciprocal (keep-change-flip).
RPM (Revenue Per Mille)
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is the estimated earnings per 1,000 page views on an ad-supported website. It is the standard benchmark for comparing monetisation performance across different content, traffic sources, or time periods in Google AdSense.
Regular Rate of Pay
The regular rate of pay is the baseline hourly rate used to calculate overtime under the FLSA. For hourly workers it equals the standard wage; for salaried workers it is the weekly salary divided by hours the salary is intended to cover.
S
SG&A
SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative expenses) are the overhead costs of running the business: sales force, marketing, executive salaries, rent, and back-office functions. SG&A is deducted from Gross Profit to arrive at Operating Profit.
Sales Tax
Sales tax is a government-imposed percentage added to the price of taxable goods and services at the point of sale. The seller collects it from the buyer and remits it to the state or local tax authority. In the US, 45 states levy a statewide sales tax; Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon do not.
Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia is the age-related progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. It typically begins around age 40 at roughly 3-8% per decade and accelerates after 65. Because muscle can be replaced by fat without changing body weight, sarcopenia can be invisible to BMI - making grip strength and functional tests essential companions to weight-based measures.
T
Testosterone
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It drives muscle protein synthesis, suppresses visceral fat storage, and regulates libido and bone density. In men with excess body fat, aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen, creating a feedback loop where high BMI lowers testosterone and low testosterone promotes further fat gain.
Time and a Half
Time and a half is an overtime rate equal to 1.5 times an employee's regular hourly pay. It is the minimum overtime rate required by the US Fair Labor Standards Act for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
U
Unit Rate
A unit rate is a ratio with a denominator of exactly 1, expressing how much of one quantity corresponds to a single unit of another. Speed in km/h, price per kg, and words per minute are all unit rates.
V
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a multi-stage consumption tax collected at each step of production and distribution. Businesses reclaim the VAT they paid on inputs, so only the net value added at each stage is taxed. Over 175 countries use VAT; the US is the only major economy that does not.
Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is fat stored inside the abdominal cavity, surrounding the liver, pancreas, kidneys, and intestines. Unlike subcutaneous fat beneath the skin, visceral fat releases inflammatory cytokines and free fatty acids directly into the portal circulation, driving insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.
Valuation Multiple
A valuation multiple expresses the price of a business as a ratio of a financial metric such as EBITDA, revenue, or earnings. It compresses a complex valuation into one comparable number - for example, "12x EV/EBITDA" means the Enterprise Value equals 12 times annual EBITDA.
W
Working Capital
Working Capital is the difference between current assets (cash, receivables, inventory) and current liabilities (payables, short-term debt). It measures a company's short-term liquidity - its ability to meet obligations due within a year.
Waist Circumference
Waist circumference measures abdominal girth at the natural waist. It is a direct indicator of visceral fat - the most metabolically harmful fat depot - and predicts cardiometabolic risk independently of BMI.
Weighted Average
A weighted average assigns each value a weight proportional to its importance or size before averaging. Unlike a simple mean, it accounts for the fact that some observations represent more data than others - producing the same result as combining all raw counts directly.