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rare-earth element (râr′ûrth)

Any of a group of 17 naturally occurring metallic elements that have similar properties, consisting of scandium, yttrium, and the 15 elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71 (the lanthanides). The rare-earth elements are widely used in electronics and other high-tech products.

[RARE EARTH.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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