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rare earth
noun
1
: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals
Examples of rare earth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Greenland is rich in rare earth minerals and uranium, and may prove strategic for global shipping routes, as Arctic ice melts with climate change.
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Lauren Frayer, NPR, 28 Jan. 2025
Greenland was also home to an abundant source of cryolite, a rare earth mineral important for the production of military aircraft in Canada and the U.S.
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James Patton Rogers & Caroline Kennedy Pipe / Made By History , TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
Those materials are used in advanced weaponry, electronics, and energy and transportation technologies, including electric vehicles — and are likely the reason Trump has shown interest in Greenland, with its abundance of rare earth minerals.
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Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 21 Jan. 2025
China’s dominance extends beyond the rare earths to a broader array of critical materials.
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Jeffrey Weng, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near rare earth
Cite this Entry
“Rare earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rare%20earth. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Medical Definition
rare earth
noun1
: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals
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