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rarefied

[rair-uh-fahyd]

adjective

extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted: the rarefied atmosphere of a scholarly symposium.

of, belonging to, or appealing to an exclusive group; select; esoteric: rarefied tastes.

Origin:
1625–35; rarefy + -ed²

Related forms

ul·tra·rar·e·fied, adjective

un·rar·e·fied, adjective

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an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used with object)

to make rare or rarer; make less dense: to rarefy a gas.

to make more refined, spiritual, or exalted.

verb (used without object)

to become rare or less dense; become thinned: Moisture rarefies when heated.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English rarefien < Middle French rarefier < Latin rārēfacere, equivalent to rārē-, combining form of rārus rare¹ (for expected rāri-; orig. of -ē- unclear) + facere to make; see -fy

Related forms

rar·e·fi·a·ble, adjective

rar·e·fi·er, noun

Link To rarefied

Collins

World English Dictionary

rarefied (ˈrɛərɪˌfaɪd)

—*adj*
1.	exalted in nature or character; lofty: a rarefied spiritual existence
2.	current within only a small group; esoteric or exclusive
3.	(of a gas, esp the atmosphere at high altitudes) having a low density; thin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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subtle tenuity tenuous thin

Matching Quote

"The analogy between baseball fans and jazz fans is closer, it seems to me, than that between other audiences. The aficionados are aware of and concerned with the refinements of performance and the particular kinds of poetry in both solo and ensemble performances. (A beautifully executed double steal is as elegant as a Goodman arpeggio.) Like baseball fans, jazz fans know who played where and with whom and to what effect; they talk a rarefied language and drop the names of clarinetists and percussionists as baseball fans do the names of long-forgotten (except by them) shortstops and spitballers. Their retention of detail is prodigious."

-Russell Lynes

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rarefied

rar·e·fied

rar·e·fy