ec|cen|tric

ec|cen|tric
ec|cen|tric «ehk SEHN trihk», adjective, noun.
–adj.
1. out of the ordinary; not usual; peculiar; odd: »

People stared at the artist's eccentric clothes.

SYNONYM(S): irregular, queer, whimsical.
2. not having the same center: »

eccentric circles.

3. not perfectly circular; not moving in a circle but in a related line. The orbit of an eccentric planet is elliptical. »

The seventh satellite, which is much fainter, revolves in an eccentric orbit, at a mean distance of about six million miles, with a period of some 200 days (Scientific American).

4. off center; having its axis set off center: »

an eccentric wheel.

–n.
1. a person who behaves in an unusual manner: »

The behavior of an eccentric is hard to predict. Edgar Allan Poe was an eccentric.

2. a disk or wheel set off center so that it can change circular motion into back-and-forth motion.
3. a circle not having the same center as another that is within it or that intersects it.
╂[< Medieval Latin eccentricus < Late Latin eccentros < Greek ékkentros < ex- out + kéntron nter]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • -cen|tric — «SEHN trihk», adjective. 1. that is in or at the center; central. 2. of or characterized by a center. 3. of or having to do with a nerve center. –cen´tri|cal|ly, adverb. cen|tric, combining form. concentrating on or derived from: »an Anglocentric …   Useful english dictionary

  • cen|tric — «SEHN trihk», adjective. 1. that is in or at the center; central. 2. of or characterized by a center. 3. of or having to do with a nerve center. –cen´tri|cal|ly, adverb. cen|tric, combining form. concentrating on or derived from: »an Anglocentric …   Useful english dictionary

  • cen|tric|i|put — «sehn TRIHS uh puht», noun. the middle part of the head, between the sinciput and the occiput. ╂[< Latin centrum + caput head] …   Useful english dictionary

  • cen|tric|i|ty — «sehn TRIHS uh tee», noun. the state of being centric …   Useful english dictionary

  • con|cen|tric — «kuhn SEHN trihk», adjective. having the same center. –con|cen´tri|cal|ly, adverb …   Useful english dictionary

  • a|cen|tric — «ay SEHN trihk», adjective. 1. having no center. 2. not on center …   Useful english dictionary

  • con|cen|tric|i|ty — «KON suhn TRIHS uh tee», noun. the quality or state of being concentric …   Useful english dictionary

  • di|cen|tric — «dy SEHN trihk», adjective. having two centromeres: »Variegation was studied in a hybrid…and found to be due to dicentric chromosomes (Harold W. Rickett) …   Useful english dictionary

  • ec|cen|tric|i|ty — «EHK sehn TRIHS uh tee», noun, plural ties. 1. something out of the ordinary; oddity; peculiarity: »One of his eccentricities was touching every lamppost he passed. SYNONYM(S): irregularity, whimsicality. 2. eccentric condition; being unusual or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ex|cen|tric — «ehk SEHN trihk», adjective. = excentral. (Cf. ↑excentral) …   Useful english dictionary

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