quirk

[kwurk]

noun

1. a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism.

   He is full of strange quirks.

2. a shift, subterfuge, or evasion; quibble.

3. a sudden twist or turn.

   He lost his money by a quirk of fate.

4. a flourish or showy stroke, as in writing.

5. Architecture.

   1. an acute angle or channel, as one dividing two parts of a molding or one dividing a flush bead from the adjoining surfaces.

   2. an area taken from a larger area, as a room or a plot of ground.

   3. an enclosure for this area.

6. Obsolete.,  a clever or witty remark; quip.

adjective

1. formed with a quirk or channel, as a molding.

quirk

/ kwɜːk /

noun

1. an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible

2. an unexpected twist or turn

   a quirk of fate

3. a continuous groove in an architectural moulding

4. a flourish, as in handwriting

Other Word Forms

• quirkily adverb
• quirkiness noun
• quirky adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quirk¹

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of quirk¹

C16: of unknown origin

Synonym Study

See eccentricity.

Example Sentences

But there are hippie-ish artist quirks if you start to look closer.

From Los Angeles Times

Every fighter jet has its quirks and the MiG‑21 was no exception - fast descents and even high-speed stalls were part of its character, according to Air Marshal Bhatia.

From BBC

One of the quirks of the executive committee is that it operates by consensus rather than a majority vote.

From Los Angeles Times

These investors favored homes with a minimum of quirks, buying them on the cheap and stripping them of anything that might hinder a future sale.

From Salon

It’s all a quirk of baseball’s rules, but one that could cost Smith the batting title if he keeps hitting and the Dodgers keep using him the way they do.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aberration 
• characteristic 
• eccentricity 
• foible 
• habit 
• idiosyncrasy 
• kink 
• mannerism 
• peculiarity 
• trait 
• twist 
• vagary