The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
RARITY
curio, curiosity, oddity, oddment, peculiarity, rarity
(noun) something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting
rarity, tenuity, low density
(noun) a rarified quality; “the tenuity of the upper atmosphere”
rarity, rareness, infrequency
(noun) noteworthy scarcity
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
rarity (plural rarities)
A measure of the scarcity of an object.
(chemistry, of a gas) Thinness; the property of having low density
A rare object.
Synonyms
• (measure of the scarcity): rareness; see also rareness
• (having low density): subtlety
• (rare object): hen's tooth; see also rarity
Source: Wiktionary
Rar"i*ty, n.; pl. Rarities. Etym: [L. raritas: cf. F. rareté. See Rare.]
1. The quality or state of being rare; rareness; thinness; as, the rarity (contrasted with the density) of gases.
2. That which is rare; an uncommon thing; a thing valued for its scarcity. I saw three rarities of different kinds, which pleased me more than any other shows in the place. Addison.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
24 May 2025
EARTHSHAKING
(adjective) sufficiently significant to affect the whole world; “earthshaking proposals”; “the contest was no world-shaking affair”; “the conversation...could hardly be called world-shattering”
Coffee Trivia
