Rare
/rɛər/noun
Existing or occurring infrequently; uncommon.
Did you know?Rare comes from Latin rarus, a word describing both physical sparseness and unusual scarcity, linking rarity to the ancient image of gaps between objects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reH-ro-
“Sparse or loosely arranged; a proposed ancient root behind the Latin word”
Ancient Latin
Latin
rarus
“Thinly scattered, loose, uncommon, or infrequent”
Classical Latin
Latin
rārus
“Having wide intervals; scarce or unusual”
Old French
Old French
rere
“Rare or uncommon”
14th Century
Middle English
rare
“Uncommon, scarce, or exceptional”
Modern English
English
rare
“Uncommon, infrequent, or—of meat—lightly cooked”
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