eccentric
/ɪkˈsentɹɪk/ik-SEN-trik
/ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/ik-SEN-trik
Meaningout of centre
Common meaning: odd
Other meanings: off centre
- ecGreek ek-: out of
- centra sharp point; the fixed point of a circleLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 428 · scan
- icadjective ending: relating to
‘out of’ + ‘a sharp point’ → eccentric
Journey through time
- Greekκέντρον‘a sharp point’
- Latineccentricus
- Frencheccen
- Englisheccentric‘odd’ · today
ec- also in: eclipseecstasyanecdote
centr also in: centreconcentrate
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek κέντρον ‘a sharp point; the fixed point of a circle’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry κέντρον, p. 428 · dictionary scan
Roots
- κέντρον Greek “a sharp point; the fixed point of a circle”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app