seldseen

English

Etymology

From Middle English seldscene, seltsene (“rarely encountered, seldom seen; rare; as adv. seldom, rarely”), from Old English seldsīne, seldsēne (“rare, extraordinary, unfamiliar, uncommon”). Cognate with Old High German seltsāni, Modern German seltsam.

Adjective

seldseen (not comparable)

1. (archaic) seldom seen, rare, uncommon
   • c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:

     And seldseen costly stones of so great price.

   • 1885, Richard Francis Burton, The Arabian Nights:

     […] and awakening, saw a serpent like a dragon, a seldseen sight.

Anagrams

• lessened, needless