rare earth

Definitions

1. Any of the naturally occurring oxides of the lanthanide metals; they are widely distributed in relatively small concentrations and are used in glassmaking, ceramic glazes etc.
2. A rare earth element.

Equivalents

Examples

“Meronyms: rare earth element, rare earth metal”

“The metallic base⟳ of yttria, a very rare earth, discovered in a mineral called godolinite.”

“Near-synonym: lanthanide”

“Despite their name⟳, rare earths are not so rare. The most common, cerium, is as plentiful in the Earth's crust as copper or lead⟳. The difference between them and more familiar materials is that, in nature, rare earths are almost never found on their own⟳. Rather, they're mixed with other minerals, and often at low concentrations, making them difficult to mine economically.”

“But the government also gave MP Materials a decade-long guaranteed price floor for its products, such as the rare earths neodymium-praseodymium, at twice recent market rates (leaving aside the fact prices have⟳ soared this week as MP Materials has cut⟳ ties with China).”

CEFR level