Reference.com

41 results for: Eccentric

Dictionary Entries (11 more entries. View all »)
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source
ec·cen·tric    Audio Help   [ik-sen-trik, ek-] Pronunciation Key
–adjective
1.deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice, etc.; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd: eccentric conduct; an eccentric person.
2.Geometry. not having the same center; not concentric: used esp. of two circles or spheres at least one of which contains the centers of both.
3.(of an axis, axle, etc.) not situated in the center.
4.Machinery. having the axis or support away from the center: an eccentric wheel.
5.Astronomy. deviating from a circular form, as an elliptic orbit.
–noun
6.a person who has an unusual, peculiar, or odd personality, set of beliefs, or behavior pattern.
7.something that is unusual, peculiar, or odd.
8.Machinery. a device for converting circular motion into rectilinear motion, consisting of a disk fixed somewhat off-center to a revolving shaft, and working freely in a surrounding collar (eccentric strap), to which a rod (eccentric rod) is attached.
Also, especially British, excentric.

[Origin: 1350–1400; < ML eccentricus < Gk ékkentr(os) out of center (see ec-, center) + L -icus -ic]

—Related forms
ec·cen·tri·cal, adjective
ec·cen·tri·cal·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. strange, weird, bizarre.
—Antonyms 1. normal, regular, ordinary, customary, conventional.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Thesaurus Entries (1 more entry. View all »)
  Roget's II: The New ThesaurusCite This Source
Main Entry:  eccentric
Part of Speech:  adjective
Definition:  Deviating from the customary.
Synonyms:  bizarre, cranky, curious, erratic, freakish, idiosyncratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, queer, quirky, singular, strange, unnatural, unusual, weird
Source:  Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition
by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary.
Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
  Synonym Collection v1.1Cite This Source
Main Entry:  eccentric
Part of Speech:  adjective
Synonyms:  aberrant, anomalous, atypical, bizarre, cantankerous, capricious, crotchety, erratic, fantastic, idiosyncratic, irregular, odd, off-center, peculiar, unconventional, whimsical
Source:  Synonym Collection v1.1
Copyright © 2008 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.
  Synonym Collection v1.1Cite This Source
Main Entry:  eccentric
Part of Speech:  noun
Synonyms:  aberrance, aberrancy, aberrant, aberration, abnormal, anomalous, bizarre, bohemian, capricious, character, crackpot, deviant, dotty, eccentricity, erratic, idiosyncrasy, irregular, kooky, nonconformist, odd, oddball, off, offbeat, peculiar, peculiarity, queer, quirk, quizzical, screwball, singular, strange, unconventional, unusual, weird, whimsical, whimsy, flaky, quiddity
Source:  Synonym Collection v1.1
Copyright © 2008 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.

Encyclopedia Articles (24 more entries. View all »)
Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaCite This Source


eccentric, in mechanics, device for changing rotary to back-and-forth motion. A disk is mounted off center on a shaft. One flat, open, circular end of a rod fits around the edge of the disk; the other end is usually attached to a block that slides in a slot. As the shaft rotates the block slides back and forth, carrying along whatever is attached to it, e.g., a valve. The distance between the center of the shaft and the center of the disk is the eccentricity. The so-called throw may mean either the eccentricity or the distance the block moves, which is twice the eccentricity. Cams and cranks perform the same function as the eccentric, which designers often prefer to the crank for short motions. 
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press




View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web








Perform a new search, or try your search for "Eccentric" at: