eccentricity

[ek-suhn-tris-i-tee, ek-sen-]

noun

plural

eccentricities 

1. an oddity or peculiarity, as of conduct.

   an interesting man, known for his eccentricities.

2. the quality of being eccentric.

   Synonyms: aberration, freakishness, oddness, strangeness, queerness

3. the amount by which something is eccentric.

4. 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.

5. 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.

eccentricity

/ ˌɛksɛnˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. unconventional or irregular behaviour

2. deviation from a circular path or orbit

3. a measure of the noncircularity of an elliptical orbit, the distance between the foci divided by the length of the major axis

4. 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)

5. 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

eccentricity

1. 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).

2. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of eccentricity¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Medieval Latin eccentricitās, equivalent to eccentric- ( eccentric ) + -itās -ity

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Could she be jealous of all this tender attention lavished on the Incorrigibles, who, despite their adorable eccentricities and mysterious background, were really perfect strangers to Miss Mortimer?

Read more on Literature

“Many people have a hobby…. The difference between the normal range and the eccentricity observed in Asperger’s Syndrome is that these pursuits are often solitary, idiosyncratic and dominate the person’s time and conversation.”

Read more on Literature

His growing eccentricity, which included untied shoelaces and hair that spiked out in all directions, completed the stock image of a distracted scientist.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the early 20th century, a clergyman named Montague Summers wrote histories of European vampires that displayed his erudition and eccentricity—not least because he was sure that vampires really did exist.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Having varying eccentricities and varying inclinations simultaneously is well understood from a modeling perspective, but having one and not the other is not as easily explained.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• foible 
• idiosyncrasy 
• peculiarity 
• quirk 
• weirdness www.thesaurus.com