Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Odd?

\Odd\, a. [Compar. {Odder}; superl. {Oddest}.] [OE. odde, fr.Icel. oddi a tongue of land, a triangle, an odd number (from the third or odd angle, or point, of a triangle), orig., a point, tip; akin to Icel. oddr point, point of a weapon, Sw. udda odd, udd point, Dan. od, AS. ord, OHG. ort, G. ort place (cf. E. point, for change of meaning).] 1. Not paired with another, or remaining over after a pairing; without a mate; unmatched; single; as, an odd shoe; an odd glove. 2. Not divisible by 2 without a remainder; not capable of being evenly paired, one unit with another; as, 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, etc., are odd numbers. I hope good luck lies in odd numbers. --Shak. 3. Left over after a definite round number has been taken or mentioned; indefinitely, but not greatly, exceeding a specified number; extra. Sixteen hundred and odd years after the earth was made, it was destroyed in a deluge. --T. Burnet. There are yet missing of your company Some few odd lads that you remember not. --Shak. 4. Remaining over; unconnected; detached; fragmentary; hence, occasional; inconsiderable; as, odd jobs; odd minutes; odd trifles. 5. Different from what is usual or common; unusual; singular; peculiar; unique; strange. ``An odd action.'' --Shak. ``An odd expression.'' --Thackeray. The odd man, to perform all things perfectly, is, in my poor opinion, Joannes Sturmius. --Ascham. Patients have sometimes coveted odd things. --Arbuthnot. Locke's Essay would be a very odd book for a man to make himself master of, who would get a reputation by critical writings. --Spectator. Syn: Quaint; unmatched; singular; unusual; extraordinary; strange; queer; eccentric, whimsical; fantastical; droll; comical. See {Quaint}.