I.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.
