What does "eccentric" mean?

1. (unconventional behaviour) behaving in a way that is slightly strange or unusual, but often in a harmless or interesting way. 2. (not circular) not perfectly round; having an oval or elliptical shape. 3. (off-center) not placed in the middle or having a different center point than something else. 4. (an unusual person) a person who has unusual habits or beliefs. 5. (mechanical part) a wheel or part of a machine that is not fixed in the center, used to change circular motion into straight motion.

eccentric

adj. · n.

US //ˌɛkˈsɛntɹɪk// UK //ɛksˈɛntɹɪk// ec·cen·tric

1 unconventional behaviour (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

behaving in a way that is slightly strange or unusual, but often in a harmless or interesting way.

deviating from established social norms or conventional patterns; typically used to describe personality or lifestyle in a non-pejorative way.

Example

The old professor was known for his eccentric habit of wearing two different shoes.

Example

Her eccentric lifestyle, which included living in a converted lighthouse and keeping a pet llama, made her a local celebrity.
2 not circular (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

not perfectly round; having an oval or elliptical shape.

deviating from a perfect circle; in astronomy, describing an orbit that is elliptical rather than circular.

Example

The planet follows an eccentric path around its star.

Example

The comet's highly eccentric orbit brings it close to the sun only once every few centuries, spending most of its time in the outer solar system.
- elliptical
- oval
- circular

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3 off-center (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical

not placed in the middle or having a different center point than something else.

not situated in the center; having a different center from another geometric figure.

Example

The designer chose an eccentric layout for the buttons to make the jacket look unique.

Example

The engineer noted that the eccentric placement of the weight was causing the machine to vibrate excessively at high speeds.
- off center
- asymmetrical
- concentric
- centered
4 an unusual person (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a person who has unusual habits or beliefs.

an individual who deviates from conventional or accepted social behaviour.

Example

The town was full of eccentrics who didn't care what their neighbours thought.

Example

History remembers him as a brilliant eccentric who spent his entire fortune on a failed attempt to build a flying machine.
- character
- individualist
- nonconformist
- conformist
5 mechanical part (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Engineering

a wheel or part of a machine that is not fixed in the center, used to change circular motion into straight motion.

a disk or wheel mounted off-center on a shaft, used to convert rotary motion into reciprocating motion.

Example

The steam engine uses an eccentric to move the valves back and forth.

Example

The technician adjusted the eccentric on the drive shaft to ensure the piston reached its full range of motion without striking the cylinder head.
- cam

Origin

From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric.