See Also: Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
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rare(3)(dictionary)
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rare(1)(dictionary)
rare(dictionary)
RARE(medicine)
rare earths(medicine)
rare species(medicine)
rare earth metal(encyclopedia)

RARE (medicine)


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, three in flocks." (Milton)

4. Characterised 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)

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

Origin: F, fr. L. Rarus thin, rare.

Source: Websters Dictionary