rare earth

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. the oxide of any of the rare-earth elements contained in various minerals.

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rare earth British  

noun

1. any oxide of a lanthanide

2. Also called: rare-earth element. another name for lanthanide

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Etymology

Origin of rare earth

First recorded in 1875–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rare earth

Brazil also holds the world's second-largest reserves of rare earth minerals after China, and the US had been eyeing preferential access.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

Samples from Chang'e-6 contain extremely low concentrations of rare earth elements and have lower thorium-to-samarium ratios, expressed as Th/Sm, than their Apollo counterparts.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Dateline Resources Ltd. is exploring for rare earth elements outside Joshua Tree National Park, sparking concerns it could deplete water supplies, draw traffic and generate toxic waste.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Earlier this year, it began producing samarium oxide, a rare earth in high military demand that had also been refined almost exclusively in China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The rare earth metals are found in the minerals gadolinite, samarskite, fergusonite, euxenite and cerite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various

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