rare

(adjective, verb)

adjective

1. not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

- a rare word

- rare books

Similar word(s): uncommon

2. recurring only at long intervals

- a rare appearance

- total eclipses are rare events

Similar word(s): infrequent

3. not widely distributed

- rare herbs

- rare patches of green in the desert

Similar word(s): scarce

4. having low density

- rare gasses

- lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air

Similar word(s): thin, rarefied, rarified

5. marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind

- what is so rare as a day in June

- a rare skill

Similar word(s): extraordinary, uncommon

6. (of meat) cooked a short time; still red inside

- rare roast beef

Similar word(s): raw

Sentences with rare as an adjective:

- Black pearls are very rare and therefore very valuable.

verb

1. (US, intransitive) To rear, rise up, start backwards.

2. (US, transitive) To rear, bring up, raise.