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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Rare \Rare\ (r[^a]r), a. [Cf. {Rather}, {Rath}.]
Early. [Obs.]
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Rude mechanicals that rare and late
Work in the market place. --Chapman.
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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.
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New-laid eggs, which Baucis' busy care
Turned by a gentle fire, and roasted rare. --Dryden.
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Note: This word is in common use in the United States, but in
England its synonym {underdone} is preferred.
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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.
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2. Of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a
degree seldom found.
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Rare work, all filled with terror and delight.
--Cowley.
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Above the rest I judge one beauty rare. --Dryden.
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3. Thinly scattered; dispersed.
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Those rare and solitary, these in flocks. --Milton.
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4. Characterized by wide separation of parts; of loose
texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere
at high elevations.
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Water is nineteen times lighter, and by consequence
nineteen times rarer, than gold. --Sir I.
Newton.
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Syn: Scarce; infrequent; unusual; uncommon; singular;
extraordinary; incomparable.

Usage: {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 quantities;
as, a bad harvest makes corn scarce.
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A perfect union of wit and judgment is one of
the rarest things in the world. --Burke.
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When any particular piece of money grew very
scarce, it was often recoined by a succeeding
emperor. --Addison.
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