eccentricity
Americannoun
PLURAL
eccentricities-
an oddity or peculiarity, as of conduct.
an interesting man, known for his eccentricities.
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the quality of being eccentric.
- Synonyms:
- aberration, freakishness, oddness, strangeness, queerness
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the amount by which something is eccentric.
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Machinery. the distance between the centers of two cylindrical objects one of which surrounds the other, as between an eccentric and the shaft on which it is mounted.
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Mathematics. a constant expressed as the ratio of the distance from a point on a conic to a focus and the distance from the point to the directrix.
noun
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unconventional or irregular behaviour
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deviation from a circular path or orbit
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a measure of the noncircularity of an elliptical orbit, the distance between the foci divided by the length of the major axis
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geometry a number that expresses the shape of a conic section: the ratio of the distance of a point on the curve from a fixed point (the focus) to the distance of the point from a fixed line (the directrix)
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the degree of displacement of the geometric centre of a rotating part from the true centre, esp of the axis of rotation of a wheel or shaft
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A measure of the deviation of an elliptical path, especially an orbit, from a perfect circle. It is equal to the ratio of the distance between the foci of the ellipse to the length of the major axis of the ellipse (the distance between the two points farthest apart on the ellipse). Eccentricity ranges from zero (for a perfect circle) to values approaching 1 (highly elongated ellipses).
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The ratio of the distance of any point on a conic section from a focus to its distance from the corresponding directrix. This ratio is constant for any particular conic section.
Related Words
Eccentricity, peculiarity, quirk, idiosyncrasy all refer to some noticeable deviation in behavior, style, or manner from what is normal or expected. Eccentricity usually suggests a mildly amusing but harmless characteristic or style: a whimsical eccentricity in choice of clothing. Peculiarity is the most general of these words, referring to almost any perceptible oddity or departure from any norm: the peculiarity of his eyelashes, of the weather. Quirk often refers to a minor, unimportant kind of oddity: Her one quirk was a habit of speaking to strangers in elevators. Sometimes quirk has overtones of strangeness: sexual quirks. Idiosyncrasy refers to a variation in behavior or manner exclusive to or characteristic of a single individual: idiosyncrasies of style that irritated editors but often delighted readers.
Etymology
Origin of eccentricity
First recorded in 1545–55; from Medieval Latin eccentricitās, equivalent to eccentric- ( eccentric ) + -itās -ity
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.
Most are still made of metal, but of thin tubes tied together by wires, creating the netlike effect of openwork weaving, and the graphic eccentricity of star charts.
From New York Times
“I used to wonder about my eccentricities, my wanting to explore and put myself in dangerous situations,” he told Esquire magazine in 1993.
From Washington Post
Despite the difficulties, those minor league eccentricities emerged again in recent weeks.
From Washington Post
Thomas lends amiable wryness to Lisa, who is alternately amused, flummoxed and moved by her relatives’ eccentricities, including her dad’s love of roller coasters.
From Washington Post
He still prefers “that Old World kind of shopping,” he said, from independent vendors, each with his own specialties and occasional grouchiness and eccentricities.
From New York Times
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.
