noun

rārĭtas

gen. ātis · gender feminine · decl. 3rd

the state of being loose; not dense; looseness of texture

the state of being loose or not dense, looseness of texture, distance apart (good prose).

in pulmonibus inest raritas quaedam et assimilis spongiis mollitudo ad… literal ••

Lit.: in pulmonibus inest raritas quaedam et assimilis spongiis mollitudo ad hauriendum spiritum aptissima, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 136: dentium, Quint. 11, 3, 55: (asini) nec pontes transeunt, per raritatem eorum translucentibus fluviis, Plin. 8, 43, 68, § 169.—In plur.: foraminum raritates, Vitr. 2, 5: venarum, id. 8, 3.—

small number; fewness; rarity by extension ••

Transf., small number, fewness, rarity: capillorum, thinness, Suet. Oth. 12; cf. superciliorum, Plin. 28, 11, 46, § 163: stellarum (opp. multitudo), id. 2, 18, 16, § 80: remanentium (hominum), Suet. Aug. 43: exemplorum, Plin. 7, 13, 11, § 58; cf. Cels. 7, 14: raritas dictorum distinguet oratorem a scurrā, Cic. de Or. 2, 60, 247; cf. figurarum, Quint. 9, 3, 27: lavandi, Suet. Aug. 82: in raritate videre, Lampr. Elag. 28. —

a rarity •

Concr., a rarity: Alexandro equi magna raritas contigit, Plin. 8, 42, 64, § 154.— In plur.: raritates, Gell. 3, 16, 9.

Perseus ID: n40426 Key: raritas