eccentric

英[?k'sentr?k;ek-] 美[?k's?ntr?k]

副詞:?eccentrically;

1. literally "out of the center".
2. 原本用于天文學表示“(天體)在不正圓軌道上運行的”，這樣的天體相對于在正圓軌道上運行的天體來說，很顯然是不正規的、不規則的、不規矩的、不符合常規的、異常的，由此就引申為跟正常人相對立的古怪的、怪僻的、偏執的、異乎尋常的的人。

eccentric 古怪的

ec-, 向外，同ex-. center, 中心。原為天文學術語，遠離軌道的，后指人古怪。

eccentric (n.): early 15c., "eccentric circle or orbit," originally a term in Ptolemaic astronomy, "circle or orbit not having the Earth precisely at its center," from Middle French eccentrique and directly from Medieval Latin eccentricus (noun and adjective), from Greek ekkentros "out of the center" (as opposed to concentric), from ek "out" (see ex-) + kentron "center" (see center (n.)). Meaning "odd or whimsical person" is attested by 1817 (S.W. Ryley, "The Itinerant, or Memoirs of an Actor").
June 4 [1800].--Died in the streets in Newcastle, William Barron, an eccentric, well known for many years by the name of Billy Pea-pudding. [John Sykes, "Local Records, or Historical Register of Remarkable Events which have Occurred Exclusively in the Counties of Durham and Northumberland, Town and County of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Berwick Upon Tweed," Newcastle, 1824]
eccentric (adj.): 1550s, from Middle French eccentrique and directly from Medieval Latin eccentricus (noun and adjective; see eccentric (n.)). Of persons, figurative sense of "odd, whimsical" first recorded 1620s. "Eccentric is applied to acts which are the effects of tastes, prejudices, judgments, etc., not merely different from those of ordinary people, but largely unaccountable and often irregular ..." [Century Dictionary].

1. Great chess players have a reputation for being both eccentric and argumentative.: 國際象棋大師們以性格怪異和好與人爭辯而聞名。

2. "He's a bit of an eccentric old fatty," Thomas thought, unkindly.: “他是一個有點古怪的胖老頭。”托馬斯不厚道地想。

3. Geniuses are supposed to be eccentric and hopelessly impractical.: 天才通常都被認為行為古怪而且毫無實踐能力。

4. His methods were unorthodox, and his lifestyle eccentric.: 他的方法不同尋常，他的生活方式也相當奇特。