rarefying

Variant of rarefy

transitive verb, intransitive verb rarefied, rarefying

  1. to make or become thin, or less dense: the rarefied mountain air
  2. to make or become more refined, subtle, or lofty: a rarefied sense of humor

Origin: ME rarefien < MFr rarefier < L rarefacere < rarus, rare + facere, to make, do

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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