| 释义 |
rarity|ˈrɛərɪtɪ, ˈrærɪtɪ|
Also 6–7 -itie, 7 -ietie, -iety, -yet-.
[ad. L. rāritās, f. rārus rare: see -ity. Cf. F. rareté (15th c.), † rarité (16th c.). On the pron. see note to rarefy.]
†1.
a. Of a number of things or persons: The fact of being set at wide intervals. Obs. rare.
1598Barret Theor. Warres iii. ii. 78 So will it be of no force to fight, by reason of their raritie & their standing.
†b. Of the pulse: Infrequency. Obs. rare.
1590P. Barrough Meth. Physick 238 The pulses do keepe their naturall slownesse and raritie.
2. Of substances (now chiefly of air): Thinness of composition or texture. (Opposed to density.)
1644H. Hammond Pract. Catech. v. iv. (1847) 335 Bodies..spiritualized into a high agility, rarity, clarity. 1684tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. i. 8 Falling of the Hair, caused by rarity of the skin. 1794G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. II. xxi. 404 Though the transparency of bodies were explicable on the supposition of infinite strength and infinite rarity. 1834M. Somerville Connex. Phys. Sc. §xvii. (1849) 164 The air, notwithstanding its rarity, is capable of transmitting its undulations. 1887R. L. Stevenson Merry Men v. ii. 224 An atmosphere of more than usual rarity.
3. Relative fewness in number; the fact of occurring seldom or in few instances.
1560–1First Bk. Discipl. in Knox Wks. (1846) II. 194 The cheiffest remedy..in all this raritie of trew ministeris, is fervent prayer unto God. 1604R. Cawdrey Table Alph., Raritie, fewnesse, scarseness. 1712Addison Spect. No. 477 ⁋1, I am so far from being fond of any particular one, by reason of its Rarity [etc.]. 1830D'Israeli Chas. I, III. xi. 243 These libels, which enter into our national history, are of the greatest rarity. 1856Stanley Sinai & Pal. vii. (1858) 287 Confined to rare and remote occasions, the more remarkable from their very rarity.
4. Unusual or exceptional character, esp. in respect of excellence.
1601R. Chester in Shaks. Cent. Praise 43 A Poeme enterlaced with much varietie and raritie. 1695W. W. New Lt. Chirurg. Put out 30 His Method of Cure. Which hath several Pieces of Rarity in it. 1744Harris Three Treat. i. (1765) 270 Some Sample of a Philosophy, which, from its Rarity perhaps, may possibly furnish some Amusement. 1873Symonds Grk. Poets v. 130 Even Archilochus seems commonplace when compared with Sappho's exquisite rarity of phrase.
5. A rare or uncommon thing, or occurrence.
1592Dee Compend. Rehears. (Chetham Soc.) 30 Of other rarities..I will not make here any further rehearsall. 1635–56Cowley Davideis I. Note 54 But this was a Raritie; for Mallows are too soft to be proper for that use. 1673Ray Journ. Low C. 27 A Museum well stored with natural and artificial Rarities. 1712–3Swift Jrnl. to Stella lxi, It was a fine day, which is a rarity with us. 1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) II. 172 It had become such a rarity in his time as hardly any where to be seen. 1821Byron Juan iv. cxv, The virtues, even..Charity, Are saving—vice spares nothing for a rarity. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) III. xii. 232 Milk was the chief diet of the people: bread was a rarity.
6. Comb., as rarity value.
1962Listener 30 Aug. 329/1 Shots..came across with a breezy freshness that is only partly explained by their rarity value on television. 1978P. McCutchan Blackmail North xiii. 138 The cave is under a layer of schist... Because of the rarity value the geologists play it down and hope to keep the tourists away. |