| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| strange |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  str nj |
| ADJECTIVE: | Inflected forms: strang·er, strang·est
1. Not previously known; unfamiliar. 2a. Out of the ordinary; unusual or striking. b. Differing from the normal. 3. Not of one's own or a particular locality, environment, or kind; exotic. 4a. Reserved in manner; distant. b. Not comfortable or at ease; constrained. 5. Not accustomed or conditioned: She was strange to her new duties. 6. Archaic Of, relating to, or characteristic of another place or part of the world; foreign. | | ADVERB: | In a strange manner. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English, from Old French estrange, extraordinary, foreign, from Latin extrneus, adventitious, foreign, from extr, outside, from feminine ablative of exter, outward. See eghs in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | strange ly —ADVERB
| | SYNONYMS: | strange, peculiar, odd, queer, quaint, outlandish, singular, eccentric, curious These adjectives describe what deviates from the usual or customary. Strange refers especially to what is unfamiliar, unknown, or inexplicable: All summer I traveled through strange lands. Peculiar particularly describes what is distinct from all others: Cloves have a peculiar aromatic odor. Something that is odd or queer fails to accord with what is ordinary, usual, or expected; both terms can suggest strangeness or peculiarity: I find it odd that his name is never mentioned. “Now, my suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose” (J.B.S. Haldane). Quaint refers to pleasing or old-fashioned peculiarity: “the quaint streets of New Orleans, that most foreign of American cities” (Winston Churchill). Outlandish suggests alien or bizarre strangeness: The partygoers wore outlandish costumes. Singular describes what is unique or unparalleled; the term often suggests a quality that arouses curiosity or wonder: Such poise is singular in one so young. Eccentric refers particularly to what is strange and departs strikingly from the conventional: His musical compositions were innovative but eccentric. Curious suggests strangeness that excites interest: Americans living abroad often acquire a curious hybrid accent. See also synonyms at foreign.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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