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“scarce”
rare, scarce
rare (RAIR) (adjective)
1. A reference to a piece of meat which remains red in the center after cooking: Cara always orders her steak rare when she goes out for dinner.
2. Concerning something which is distinguished by unusual merit or appeal: At the gallery, Mark viewed the rare collection of ivory miniatures.
3. Infrequent, unusual, uncommon: Tabitha and Shelby saw a rare bird while they were out on a hike.
2. Concerning something which is distinguished by unusual merit or appeal: At the gallery, Mark viewed the rare collection of ivory miniatures.
3. Infrequent, unusual, uncommon: Tabitha and Shelby saw a rare bird while they were out on a hike.
scarce (SKAIRS) (adjective)
1. Idiom: Relating to someone or to an animal that is intentionally elusive or absent: The children were told to make themselves scarce when the parents were decorating the house.
2. Limited quantity in comparison to the interest or demand; so, not easy to procure: The grocer reported that lemons were scarce at this time of year.
3. Hard to find; absent or rare: U.S. steel pennies are scarce now except in coin shops.
2. Limited quantity in comparison to the interest or demand; so, not easy to procure: The grocer reported that lemons were scarce at this time of year.
3. Hard to find; absent or rare: U.S. steel pennies are scarce now except in coin shops.
In Kevin's art store, there is a scarce supply of copies of the rare print made by the Italian print master of the last century.
This entry is located in the following units:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group R; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 2)
rar-, rare- +
(page 1)
scarce
1. Insufficient to meet a demand or requirement; short in supply: "Fresh meat has become scarce because of so many cattle freezing and starving as a result of the harsh winter."
2. Hard to find; absent or rare: "Silver coins are scarce now except in coin shops."
3. Available in small supply; opposite of abundant.
2. Hard to find; absent or rare: "Silver coins are scarce now except in coin shops."
3. Available in small supply; opposite of abundant.
Usually meaningful only in relative terms, compared to demand and/or to supply at another place or time.
4. Etymology: from about 1297, "restricted in quantity" from Old Norse Frenchk scars (Old French eschars) from Vulgar Latin escarpsus, from excarpere, "to pluck out"; from Latin excerpere, "to pluck out" (see excerpt in this unit).
This entry is located in the following unit:
carpo-, carp- (cerp-) +
(page 1)
A unit related to:
“scarce”
(Greek: scarce, scarcity; rare, uncommon)