odd
1 Americanadjective
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differing in nature from what is ordinary, usual, or expected.
His ice cream had an odd choice of topping combinations.
- Synonyms:
- uncommon , rare , unusual , extraordinary
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singular or peculiar in a strange or eccentric way.
She can be an odd person sometimes.
The group were known for their odd manners.
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fantastic; bizarre.
Her taste in clothing was rather odd.
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(of a number) leaving a remainder of 1 when divided by 2 (even ).
The numbers 3, 15, and 181 are odd.
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more or less, especially a little more (used in combination with a round number).
I owe three hundred-odd dollars.
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being a small amount in addition to what is counted or specified.
I have five gross and a few odd dozens.
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being part of a pair, set, or series of which the rest is lacking.
I found an odd glove in the back of the drawer.
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remaining after all others are paired, grouped, or divided into equal numbers or parts.
Everybody gets two hamburgers and I get the odd one.
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left over after all others are used, consumed, etc..
After we finished the jigsaw puzzle, there was one odd piece that didn't seem to fit anywhere.
-
(of a pair) not matching.
Do you know you're wearing an odd pair of socks?
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not forming part of any particular group, set, or class.
He tends to pick up odd bits of information that can be useful in unexpected situations.
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happening, coming, found, etc., irregularly or only now and then; occasional.
She saved up money doing odd jobs over the summer break.
We didn’t see any interesting birds other than the odd hawk.
-
out-of-the-way; secluded.
We took a tour to the odd parts of the country.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having a sign that changes when the sign of each independent variable is changed at the same time.
noun
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something that is odd.
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Golf.
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a stroke more than the opponent has played.
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British. a stroke taken from a player's total score for a hole in order to give them odds.
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abbreviation
adjective
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unusual or peculiar in appearance, character, etc
-
occasional, incidental, or random
odd jobs
-
leftover or additional
odd bits of wool
-
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not divisible by two
-
represented or indicated by a number that is not divisible by two Compare even 1
graphs are on odd pages
-
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being part of a matched pair or set when the other or others are missing
an odd sock
odd volumes
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(in combination) used to designate an indefinite quantity more than the quantity specified in round numbers
fifty-odd pounds
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out-of-the-way or secluded
odd corners
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maths (of a function) changing sign but not absolute value when the sign of the independent variable is changed, as in y=x³ See even 1
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a person or thing excluded from others forming a group, unit, etc
noun
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golf
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one stroke more than the score of one's opponent
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an advantage or handicap of one stroke added to or taken away from a player's score
-
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a thing or person that is odd in sequence or number
Usage
What is a basic definition of odd? Odd refers to a number that will have a remainder of 1 when divided by 2. Odd also describes something that is unusual or weird. Odd has many other senses as an adjective and a few as a noun.An odd number is any number that has a remainder of 1 when it’s divided by 2. For example, 7 divided by 2 is 3 with a remainder of 1. 7 is an odd number. On the other hand, 8 divided by 2 is 4 with no remainder. A number, such as 8, that has no remainder when divided by 2 is called an even number.Real-life examples: 5, 11, 37, and 649 are examples of odd numbers.Used in a sentence: I always like to cut my pizzas into an odd number of slices. Odd also describes something that is unusual or not what a person would expect.Real-life examples: People often make odd choices or odd decisions that catch other people by surprise. For example, it might be considered odd to go swimming in regular clothing because people usually wear a bathing suit. A firefighter showing up to a fire in an ice cream truck would be odd because they are expected to drive fire trucks, which have firefighting tools.Used in a sentence: They were caught off guard by the man’s odd choice of words. Odd can also refer to something that is very strange, weird, or bizarre.Real-life examples: Works of fantasy like the Harry Potter series often include very odd creatures, such as plant monsters or giant, flying jellyfish. In everyday life, people may display odd behavior, such as walking on their hands down the street.Used in a sentence: The circus clown drove an odd car that was shaped like a giant pie.
Related Words
See strange.
Other Word Forms
- oddly adverb
- oddness noun
Etymology
Origin of odd1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi “odd (number)”
Origin of ODD1
First recorded in 1980, in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And, yes, they also have room to make the odd mistake.
From MarketWatch
He positioned himself in the indie-rock world, an odd fit for his delicate material, and Mr. Jesso is a shy performer.
Though she found that odd, she proceeded to drink it.
From Los Angeles Times
There were other odd jobs, including working the overnight shift as a Metropolitan Museum security guard.
Like every odd couple, Judy and Nick clash repeatedly as they battle to the inevitable happy ending.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.