rārĭtas (noun F) : id.
* The state of being loose or not dense, looseness of texture, distance apart (good prose).
* 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.
* 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.
* Concr., a rarity: Alexandro equi magna raritas contigit,Plin. 8, 42, 64, § 154.— In plur.: raritates,Gell. 3, 16, 9.

s. TLL