Skip to main content

oddity — a person or thing that is strange or unusual

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a person or thing that is strange or unusual

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɑːdəti/

Example Sentences

  • My grandmother's house was full of oddities she collected during her travels.
  • The three-legged cat became the neighborhood oddity that everyone loved.
  • His habit of wearing winter coats in summer made him quite an oddity.

oddity

NOUN

[/ˈɑːdəti/]

a person or thing that is strange or unusual

The purple-striped chicken in the barnyard is a real oddity among the flock.
💡 Concept

The purple-striped chicken in the barnyard is a real oddity among the flock.

Strange commodity sold with true modesty - what an oddity!
🎵 Rhyme

Strange commodity sold with true modesty - what an oddity!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈɑːdəti/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈɒdəti/

🌳Etymology

Rootodd
Suffix--ity

Origin

From the Middle English 'odde' meaning 'odd or strange,' derived from Old Norse 'oddi' meaning 'point of land' or 'angle,' which metaphorically came to mean 'odd' or 'peculiar.' The suffix '-ity' was added to form the noun.

Breakdown

odd (strange, unusual) + -ity (noun-forming suffix indicating a state or quality) = oddity

🎵Rhyme

commodity
modesty

🔗Collocations

local oddity
human oddity
curious oddity
interesting oddity
historical oddity
genetic oddity

📝Examples

“My grandmother's house was full of oddities she collected during her travels.”

😄 Fun example

“The three-legged cat became the neighborhood oddity that everyone loved.”

😄 Fun example

“His habit of wearing winter coats in summer made him quite an oddity.”

“The museum's oddity collection includes a two-headed chicken preserved in formaldehyde.”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.