quirk

[ kwurk ]

noun

1. a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism:

   He is full of strange quirks.

2. a shift, subterfuge, or evasion; quibble.
3. a sudden twist or turn:

   He lost his money by a quirk of fate.

4. a flourish or showy stroke, as in writing.
5. Architecture.
   1. an acute angle or channel, as one dividing two parts of a molding or one dividing a flush bead from the adjoining surfaces.
   2. an area taken from a larger area, as a room or a plot of ground.
   3. an enclosure for this area.
6. Obsolete. a clever or witty remark; quip.

adjective

1. formed with a quirk or channel, as a molding.

quirk

/ kwɜːk /

noun

1. an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible
2. an unexpected twist or turn

   a quirk of fate

3. a continuous groove in an architectural moulding
4. a flourish, as in handwriting

Derived Forms

• ˈquirkily, adverb
• ˈquirkiness, noun
• ˈquirky, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quirk¹

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of quirk¹

C16: of unknown origin

Synonym Study

See eccentricity.

Example Sentences

One of its quirks is "the middle of Lidl" and a trip to the retailer has become synonymous with shoppers returning with something they had not gone in for.

From BBC

There was even a statistical quirk from his final game as four England players scored their first senior goals as the Republic of Ireland subsided.

From BBC

Grant chooses goofy professor over, say, conflicted wannabe monk, and offers, if nothing else, a reminder that a boyish smile and twinkling blue eyes are simply quirks of genetics rather than reflections of humanity.

From Los Angeles Times

A quirk of the fixture list – and Sporting’s refusal to let Amorim leave immediately – created the story.

From BBC

This rule quirk potentially decided the race, and certainly disadvantaged Lando Norris and George Russell to the benefit of Max Verstappen and the Alpine drivers, who eventually finished on the podium.

From BBC

Related Words

• aberration
• characteristic
• eccentricity
• foible
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• kink
• mannerism
• peculiarity
• trait
• twist
• vagary