odd

¹

[ od ]

adjective

, odd·er, odd·est.

1. differing in nature from what is ordinary, usual, or expected:

   His ice cream had an odd choice of topping combinations.

   Synonyms: uncommon, rare, unusual, extraordinary

   Antonyms: common, usual, ordinary

2. singular or peculiar in a strange or eccentric way:

   She can be an odd person sometimes.

   The group were known for their odd manners.

3. fantastic; bizarre:

   Her taste in clothing was rather odd.

4. (of a number) leaving a remainder of 1 when divided by 2 ( even ):

   The numbers 3, 15, and 181 are odd.

5. more or less, especially a little more (used in combination with a round number):

   I owe three hundred-odd dollars.

6. being a small amount in addition to what is counted or specified:

   I have five gross and a few odd dozens.

7. being part of a pair, set, or series of which the rest is lacking:

   I found an odd glove in the back of the drawer.

8. remaining after all others are paired, grouped, or divided into equal numbers or parts:

   Everybody gets two hamburgers and I get the odd one.

9. left over after all others are used, consumed, etc.:

   After we finished the jigsaw puzzle, there was one odd piece that didn't seem to fit anywhere.

10. (of a pair) not matching:

    Do you know you're wearing an odd pair of socks?

11. not forming part of any particular group, set, or class:

    He tends to pick up odd bits of information that can be useful in unexpected situations.

12. happening, coming, found, etc., irregularly or only now and then; occasional:

    She saved up money doing odd jobs over the summer break.

    We didn’t see any interesting birds other than the odd hawk.

13. out-of-the-way; secluded:

    We took a tour to the odd parts of the country.

14. Mathematics. (of a function) having a sign that changes when the sign of each independent variable is changed at the same time.

noun

1. something that is odd.
2. Golf.
   1. a stroke more than the opponent has played.
   2. British. a stroke taken from a player's total score for a hole in order to give them odds.

ODD

²

[ oh-dee-dee ]

abbreviation for

1. oppositional defiant disorder: a behavioral disorder characterized by habitual aggression and hostility, resistance to authority, outbursts of rage, etc., that interfere with normal functioning and relationships.

odd

/ ɒd /

adjective

1. unusual or peculiar in appearance, character, etc
2. occasional, incidental, or random

   odd jobs

3. leftover or additional

   odd bits of wool

4. 1. not divisible by two
   2. represented or indicated by a number that is not divisible by two Compare even 1

      graphs are on odd pages

5. being part of a matched pair or set when the other or others are missing

   an odd sock

   odd volumes

6. in combination used to designate an indefinite quantity more than the quantity specified in round numbers

   fifty-odd pounds

7. out-of-the-way or secluded

   odd corners

8. maths (of a function) changing sign but not absolute value when the sign of the independent variable is changed, as in y=x³ See even 1
9. odd man out
   a person or thing excluded from others forming a group, unit, etc

noun

1. golf
   1. one stroke more than the score of one's opponent
   2. an advantage or handicap of one stroke added to or taken away from a player's score
2. a thing or person that is odd in sequence or number

odd

/ ŏd /

1. Divisible by 2 with a remainder of 1, such as 17 or −103.

Derived Forms

• ˈoddness, noun
• ˈoddly, adverb

Other Words From

• odd·ly adverb
• odd·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of odd¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi “odd (number)”

Origin of odd²

First recorded in 1980, in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Word History and Origins

Origin of odd¹

C14: odde: from Old Norse oddi point, angle, triangle, third or odd number. Compare Old Norse oddr point, spot, place; Old English ord point, beginning

Synonym Study

See strange.

Example Sentences

Anybody in the federal bureaucracy who is not elected … if your Social Security number ends in an odd number, you’re out.

From Slate

Of those who remain, if your Social Security number starts with an even number, you’re in, and if it starts with an odd number, you’re out.

From Slate

"It would feel odd for us to use things like Snowdon and Snowdonia, because they just feel so alien and they're not words that people in the area use."

From BBC

While it may seem like an odd coincidence for spacetime to follow an analogous engineering blueprint as the human body, Monjo argues this is perfectly logical.

From Salon

In an odd twist the photo was first published on Telegram by the former opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, who was arrested when his Ryanair flight over Belarus was forcibly grounded.

From BBC

Related Words

• different
• miscellaneous
• unusual