strange

I. adjective (stranger; strangest) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French estrange, from Latin extraneus, literally, external, from extra outside — more at extra- Date: 13th century 1. a. archaic of, relating to, or characteristic of another country ; foreign b. not native to or naturally belonging in a place ; of external origin, kind, or character 2. a. not before known, heard, or seen ; unfamiliar b. exciting wonder or awe ; extraordinary 3. a. discouraging familiarities ; reserved, distant b. ill at ease 4. unaccustomed 2 <

she was strange to his ways

> • strangely adverb Synonyms: strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected. strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable <

a journey filled with strange sights

>. singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness <

a singular feeling of impending disaster

>. unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel <

a career unique in the annals of science

>. peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness <

the peculiar status of America's first lady

>. eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior <

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

>. erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating <

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

>. odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected <

an odd sense of humor

>. quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness <

a quaint fishing village

>. outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric <

outlandish fashions of the time

>. II. noun Usage: often attributive Date: 1974 a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of - 1/3 and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV; also the flavor characterizing this particle