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(rr), a.[Cf. Rather, Rath.] Early. [Obs.] Rude mechanicals that rare and late Work in the market place. Chapman. Rare a.[Compar.Rarer (rr"r); superl.Rarest.] [Cf. AS. hrr, or E. rare early. 18.] Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton. New-laid eggs, which Baucis' busy care Turned by a gentle fire, and roasted rare. Dryden. This word is in common use in the United States, but in England its synonym underdone is preferred. Rare a.[Compar.Rarer (rr"r); superl.Rarest.] [F., fr. L. rarus thin, rare.] 1. Not frequent; seldom met with or occurring; unusual; as, a rare event. 2. Of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a degree seldom found. Rare work, all filled with terror and delight. Cowley. Above the rest I judge one beauty rare. Dryden. 3. Thinly scattered; dispersed. Those rare and solitary, these in flocks. Milton. 4. Characterized by wide separation of parts; of loose texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere at high elevations. Water is nineteen times lighter, and by consequence nineteen times rarer, than gold. Sir I. Newton. Syn. -- Scarce; infrequent; unusual; uncommon; singular; extraordinary; incomparable. -- Rare, Scarce. We call a thing rare when but few examples, specimens, or instances of it are ever to be met with; as, a rare plant. We speak of a thing as scarce, which, though usually abundant, is for the time being to be had only in diminished qu スポンサード リンク
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