RTS
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Return to sender |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday, Arts & Entertainment, Medical |
RTS has four meanings. The most common are Return to sender (mail and postal) and Real-time strategy (video game); it can also stand for Raised toilet seat and Revised Trauma Score.
Meanings of RTS at a glance
| # | RTS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Return to sender | Writing & Everyday › Mail and Postal |
| 2 | Real-time strategy | Arts & Entertainment › Video Game |
| 3 | Raised toilet seat | Medical › Rehabilitation |
| 4 | Revised Trauma Score | Medical › Emergency Medicine |
1. Return to sender
Writing & Everyday · Mail and Postal Abbreviations
Marks undeliverable mail for return to the person who sent it, written or stamped on the envelope by the postal service or the intended recipient. Common reasons include an unknown addressee or an incomplete address.
Example: The letter came back stamped RTS: attempted, not known, unable to forward.
In the US, a recipient can refuse unopened First-Class Mail by writing "Refused" or "Return to Sender" on it, and USPS returns it without charge; some advertising mail is simply discarded. Elvis Presley's 1962 hit "Return to Sender" made the phrase famous. Online retailers use RTS for parcels returned after a failed delivery.
2. Real-time strategy
Arts & Entertainment · Video Game Abbreviations
Strategy game genre in which players gather resources, build bases and command armies simultaneously, without taking turns. StarCraft, Age of Empires and Command & Conquer are classic examples.
Example: StarCraft turned the RTS into a televised sport in South Korea.
Dune II (1992) set the conventions of resource harvesting and base building. Competitive RTS play rewards speed, measured as actions per minute (APM). The genre's popularity peaked in the late 1990s and 2000s.
3. Raised toilet seat
Medical · Rehabilitation Abbreviations
Seat that attaches to a standard toilet to increase its height, making sitting and standing easier, especially after hip or knee replacement and for people with weak legs.
Example: Home recommendations: RTS with arms, grab bar by tub, remove throw rugs.
Usually needed after hip replacement with precautions that limit hip flexion. Some models have handles; alternatively a 3-in-1 bedside commode can be placed over the toilet. Most raised toilet seats are not covered by Medicare as DME.
4. Revised Trauma Score
Medical · Emergency Medicine Abbreviations
Physiological trauma score combining Glasgow Coma Scale, systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate, each coded from 0 to 4. Lower scores mean greater physiologic derangement.
Example: RTS 5.97 on arrival; trauma surgery at bedside.
Published by Howard Champion and colleagues in 1989. A weighted version predicts survival, and an unweighted version is used for field triage. Combined with ISS and age, it forms the TRISS method for estimating survival probability.
Related abbreviations
More mail and postal abbreviations
- RD – Rural delivery
- RFD – Rural Free Delivery
- RR – Rural route
- RRR – Return receipt requested
- S&H – Shipping and handling
- SAE – Stamped addressed envelope
- SASE – Self-addressed stamped envelope
- SWAK – Sealed with a kiss
See all 35 mail and postal abbreviations →
More video game abbreviations
- QTE – Quick time event
- RNG – Random number generator
- RP – Rating Pending
- RPG – Role-playing game
- SNES – Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- T – Teen
- TAS – Tool-assisted speedrun
- TBS – Turn-based strategy
See all 58 video game abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.