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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
China currently has the largest deposit of rare earth elements on Earth and remains the main global provider.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 1 Oct. 2024
Other entities rated the same in Japan include manufacturers in the nuclear, rare earths, and chip industries, as well as cybersecurity and infrastructure operators.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Asia, 13 Sep. 2024
Last year, China slapped export controls on gallium and germanium — rare earths essential for manufacturing semiconductors — in response to restrictions by the US, the Netherlands, and Japan on the exports of some semiconductor equipment to China.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
Countries now want more redundancy in their supply chains for crucial products such as microchips, energy, and rare earth minerals.
—Rana Foroohar, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rare earth
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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 15 Nov. 2024.
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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