rare earth

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “When did the term start to be used?”)

Noun

rare earth (plural rare earths)

1. (chemistry) 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

Derived terms

• rare earth element
• rare earth metal
• rare earth mineral

Translations

naturally occurring oxide of the lanthanide metals

• Afrikaans: seldsame aarde
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 稀土 (zh) (xītǔ)

• Finnish: maametallimineraali
• French: terre rare (fr) f
• German: seltene Erde f
• Irish: tearcithir f, tearc-chré f
• Japanese: 希土類 (ja) (きどるい, kidorui), レア・アース (rea-āsu)
• Kazakh: сирекжер (sirekjer)
• Korean: 희토류(稀土類) (huitoryu)
• Russian: ре́дкие зе́мли f pl (rédkije zémli)
• Spanish: tierra rara f, tierra insólita f
• Vietnamese: đất hiếm
• Welsh: prinfwyn m

Further reading

• rare-earth element on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “rare earth”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.