adjective
rare
Cooked briefly so the inside remains red or pink.
The steak is rare, with a red center.
Etymology
The cooking word developed from an older adjective meaning lightly cooked or underdone. It is separate from rare meaning uncommon or thin in density.
More examples
- She preferred the meat a little rarer.
- He ordered a rare burger in the story.
- The cook compared rare and well-done portions.
Forms
rare · rarer · rarest
Similar words
- underdone
- Less cooked than expected, without necessarily a requested rare preparation.