peculiar

[ pi-kyool-yer ]

/ pɪˈkyul yər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR peculiar ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

strange; queer; odd: peculiar happenings.

uncommon; unusual: the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.

distinctive in nature or character from others.

belonging characteristically (usually followed by to): an expression peculiar to Canadians.

belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing: the peculiar properties of a drug.

Astronomy. designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.

noun

a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.

British. a particular parish or church that is exempted from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop in whose diocese it lies and is governed by another.

peculiars. Also called arbitraries. British Printing. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.

Origin of peculiar

1400–50; late Middle English; < Latin pecūliāris as one's own, equivalent to pecūli(um) property (derivative of pecū flock, farm animals; akin to pecus cattle (see fee)) + -āris -ar¹

SYNONYMS FOR peculiar

1 eccentric, bizarre. See strange.

2 extraordinary, singular, exceptional.

5 individual, personal, particular, special, unique.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR peculiar ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR peculiar

2, 5 common.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR peculiar ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM peculiar

pe·cu·liar·ly, adverb un·pe·cu·liar, adjective un·pe·cu·liar·ly, adverb

Words nearby peculiar

pectus, pectus carinatum, pectus excavatum, pectus recurvatum, peculate, peculiar, peculiar institution, peculiar people, peculiarity, peculiarize, peculium

Example sentences from the Web for peculiarly

I believe totalitarianism is a peculiarly 20th century idea.

Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator |J.P. O’Malley |November 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the tape, the bull looks bored, wearing that peculiarly vacuous expression that only cows and bulls can know.

The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy |Peter Richmond |May 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But life has a peculiarly strict mathematical quality to it.

Why There Will Always Be Weiners |Lee Siegel |June 17, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Nonetheless, this is a peculiarly British mess that reflects not just on the company but on the country.

Why Is BP's Former Boss a U.K. Hero? |Clive Irving |June 10, 2010 |DAILY BEAST

Amis-Rage has become a near pathological, peculiarly British compulsion.

England's Punching Bag: Martin Amis |Olivia Cole |February 13, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
Mr. Lyte, it appeared, was suffering from a peculiarly interesting neuralgia, and the garage had overcharged him.

Babbitt |Sinclair Lewis
It was originally a shallow gravel pit, and is peculiarly adapted to the requirements of Bamboos.

Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens |Ernest Thomas Cook
But as the essential idea of the Psalmist is preserved in the common version, I employ it as peculiarly illustrative and forcible.

The Crown of Thorns |E. H. Chapin
My boys are all dear to me, but Durand and Gordon peculiarly so.

Peggy Stewart at School |Gabrielle E. Jackson
In the instance of Dr and Mrs Riccabocca the change was peculiarly visible.

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 425, March, 1851 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for peculiarly

peculiar

/ (pɪˈkjuːlɪə) /

adjective

strange or unusual; odd a peculiar individual; a peculiar idea

distinct from others; special

(postpositive foll by to) belonging characteristically or exclusively (to) peculiar to North America

noun

Also called: arbitrary printing a special sort, esp an accented letter

Church of England a church or parish that is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose diocese it lies

Derived forms of peculiar

peculiarly, adverb

Word Origin for peculiar

C15: from Latin pecūliāris concerning private property, from pecūlium, literally: property in cattle, from pecus cattle

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

peculiar

adjective

noun

Origin of peculiar

SYNONYMS FOR peculiar

ANTONYMS FOR peculiar

OTHER WORDS FROM peculiar

Words nearby peculiar

Example sentences from the Web for peculiarly

British Dictionary definitions for peculiarly

adjective

noun

Derived forms of peculiar

Word Origin for peculiar

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

peculiar

adjective

noun

Origin of peculiar

SYNONYMS FOR peculiar

ANTONYMS FOR peculiar

OTHER WORDS FROM peculiar

Words nearby peculiar

Words related to peculiarly

Example sentences from the Web for peculiarly

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adjective

noun

Derived forms of peculiar

Word Origin for peculiar

British Dictionary definitions for peculiarly