rārĭtas, ātis, f. [rarus], the state of being loose or not dense, looseness of texture, distance apart (good prose).
- I. 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.
- II. 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.
- b. Concr., a rarity: Alexandro equi magna raritas contigit, Plin. 8, 42, 64, § 154.
In plur.: raritates, Gell. 3, 16, 9.