case-fatality proportion: the number of cases of a disease ending in death divided by the number of cases of the disease; usually expressed as a percentage or as the number of deaths per 1000 cases
proportion: the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
cat's-tail: tall marsh plant with cylindrical seed heads that explode when mature shedding large quantities of down; its long flat leaves are used for making mats and chair seats; of North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa