rare

rare
adjective
1 not seen or found very often, or not happening very often: This species of plant is becoming increasingly rare. | We only went to the cinema on very rare occasions. | it is rare to do sth: It is rare to find such an interesting group of people. | it is rare for sb/sth to do sth: It's very rare for her to miss a day at school.
2 meat that is rare has only been cooked for a short time and is still red: I like my steak rare.
3 (only before noun) BrE old-fashioned unusually good or extreme: We had a rare old time at the party.
4 air that is rare has less oxygen than usual because it is in a high place
—see also: rarely, rarity — rareness noun (U) USAGE NOTE: RARE WORD CHOICE: rare, uncommon, scarce, infrequent, unusual, rarely, scarcely Things that do not exist in large numbers or amounts, are uncommon: an uncommon name/species of birds. Rare things are uncommon, and often valuable: a rare hand-crafted book cover | He collects rare coins. Things that you need and are difficult to find or get, though they may at other times be available, are scarce: Food is scarce in the refugee camps. | Parking spaces are scarce on Saturdays. Events that do not happen often are infrequent or rare: Opportunities for promotion are rare/infrequent in this company. | the infrequent letters from her son | the rare sight of a deer grazing It is unusual and rather formal to say: It is not rare to ... . People usually say uncommon or unusual or try to avoid using two negatives completely. For example, this sentence is perfectly acceptable: It's not unusual to see tears at a wedding . But you could say instead: You often see tears at a wedding. Rarely means 'not often' but scarcely means `hardly', or only `just': I rarely visit Houston (NOT scarcely, though you could say 'scarcely ever').| The train leaves in an hour - we've scarcely got time to pack.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • rare — [ rar ] adj. • 1377; rere adj. fém. v. 1236; lat. rarus 1 ♦ (Généralt après le nom) Qui se rencontre peu souvent, dont il existe peu d exemplaires. Objet rare. Chercher une chose rare (cf. Mouton à cinq pattes, merle blanc). Pierres rares. ⇒… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • rare — RARE. adj. de tout genre. Qui n est pas commun, qui n est pas ordinaire, qui se trouve difficilement. Une chose rare, tres rare. un oiseau rare. un livre rare. ce livre là est devenu rare. curieux & rare. cette chose n est précieuse que parce qu… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Rare — Rechtsform Aktiengesellschaft Gründung 1982 Sitz Twycross, Großbritannien Leitung Mark Betteridge Gregg Mayles Produkte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rare — Rare, a. [Compar. {Rarer} (r[^a]r [ e]r); superl. {Rarest}.] [F., fr. L. rarus thin, rare.] 1. Not frequent; seldom met with or occurring; unusual; as, a rare event. [1913 Webster] 2. Of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • RARE —     Rare en physique est opposé à dense. En morale, il est opposé à commun.     Ce dernier rare est ce qui excite l admiration. On n admire jamais ce qui est commun, on en jouit.     Un curieux se préfère au reste des chétifs mortels, quand il a… …   Dictionnaire philosophique de Voltaire

  • rare — W2S3 [reə US rer] adj comparative rarer superlative rarest [Sense: 1,3; Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: rarus] [Sense: 2; Date: 1600 1700; Origin: rear lightly cooked (15 19 centuries), from Old English hrer] 1.) …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • rare — [ rer ] adjective *** 1. ) not happening very often: In a rare moment of honesty, he told her what he had done. it is rare (for someone) to do something: It s extremely rare for her to lose her temper. a ) not often seen or found, and therefore… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Rare — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres   Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rare — Rare, a. [Compar. {Rarer} (r[^a]r [ e]r); superl. {Rarest}.] [Cf. AS. hr[=e]r, or E. rare early. [root]18.] Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton. [1913 Webster] New laid eggs, which Baucis busy… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rare — is a word used to denote low numbers of abundance, uncommon, scarce.It can also refer to:*Rare species, a conservation category in biology designating the scarcity of an organism and implying a threat to its viability *Rare (company), a video… …   Wikipedia

  • rare — rare; rare·bit; rare·ly; rare·ness; …   English syllables

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