Note: This word is in common use in the United States, but in England its synonym underdone is preferred.
RARE Rare, a. [Compar. Rarer; superl. Rarest.] Etym: [F., fr. L. rarus thin, 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. Characterized 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.
Syn. — 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.
RAREBIT
Rare"bit, n.
Defn: A dainty morsel; a Welsh rabbit. See Welsh rabbit, under
Rabbit.
RAREE-SHOW
Rar"ee-show`, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. rarity-show.]