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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary ec·cen·tric
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Medieval Latin eccentricus,from Greek ekkentros, from ex out of + kentron center DATE circa 1630 1. a. deviating from an established or usual pattern or style eccentric products b. deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways an eccentric millionaire 2. a. deviating from a circular path; especially : elliptical 1 an eccentric orbit b. located elsewhere than at the geometrical center; also : having the axis or support so located an eccentric wheel Synonyms: see strange
noun DATE 1827 1. a mechanical device consisting of an eccentric disk communicating its motion to a rod so as to produce reciprocating motion 2. an eccentric person English Etymology eccentric late 14c. as a term in Ptolemaic astronomy, from M.L.eccentricus, from Gk. ekkentros "out of the center" (as opposed to concentric), from ek "out" + kentron "center" (see center). Figurative sense of "odd, whimsical" (adj.) first recorded 1680s. Noun meaning person with such qualities first attested 1832. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 eccentric ec·cen·tric / ik5sentrik / adjective considered by other people to be strange or unusual 古怪的；异乎寻常的: eccentric behaviour / clothes 古怪的行为；奇装异服 an eccentric aunt 怪僻的大婶 • ec·cen·tric noun: Most people considered him a harmless eccentric. 多数人都认为他是一个无伤大雅的怪人。 • ec·cen·tric·al·ly / -kli / adv. Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English eccentric adj. VERBS be, look, seem | become, get The old lady was getting very eccentric. | consider sb, find sb, regard sb as We were definitely regarded as eccentric. ADV. extremely, highly, very, wildly | a bit, faintly, fairly, a little, rather, slightly, somewhat | endearingly, engagingly his engagingly eccentric brother OLT eccentric adj. ⇨ unusual Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged ec·cen·tric I. \ikˈsen.trik, (|)ek|s-, -rēk\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English excentryke, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin excentricus, eccentricus, from eccentricus, adjective 1. in the Ptolemaic system of astronomy : the circular orbit of the sun around the earth, the latter not being at the center of the circle; also : the orbit or deferent of the epicycles of the moon or a planet 2. : a mechanical device consisting of a disk through which a shaft is keyed eccentrically and a circular strap which works freely round the rim of the disk for communicating its motion to one end of a rod the other end of which is compelled to move in a straight line so as to produce reciprocating motion 3. a. : a person that deviates from conventional or accepted conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways < an eccentric who cluttered his estate with statues of himself > b. : a person or thing that varies from some established type, pattern, or rule in any way < Milton seems to me … the greatest of all eccentrics — T.S.Eliot > II. adjective or ex·cen·tric \“\ Etymology: Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Greek ekkentros not having the earth as center, eccentric (from ek out of, out — from ex — + -kentros, from kentron center of a circle) + Latin -icus -ic — more at center 1. : not having the same center — used of circles, cylinders, spheres, and certain other figures; opposed to concentric 2. : deviating from some established type, pattern, or rule < his goods were so eccentric that only he could ever sell them — Wolf Mankowitz > : deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways < famed for his eccentric spelling > < eccentric behavior made him the butt of many jokes > 3. a. : deviating or departing from the center or from the line of a circle < an eccentric orbit > : relating to deviation from the center or from circular motion b. : located elsewhere than at the geometrical center : having its axis or support so located < eccentric wheel > 4. : being away or remote from a center < their eccentric location makes it … costly to get oil from there — Ellsworth Huntington & Samuel Van Valkenburg > : off-center < eccentric loading occurs when force on a member such as a column is not applied at the center of the column — Army Tech. Manual 5-230 > 5. : of or relating to an eccentric : driven by an eccentric < an eccentric strap > < an eccentric rod > Synonyms: see strange |
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