odd

¹

[od]

adjective

odder, oddest 

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

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. 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

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

Other Word Forms

• oddness noun
• oddly adverb

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

“I kind of refer to him as your favorite odd uncle.”

From Los Angeles Times

This odd behavior, of course, only fueled more speculation.

From Salon

I like odd chord changes; when I was singing with the Jazz Passengers, that was sort of like going to college for me, they used all kinds of time signatures and harmonics and things.

From Los Angeles Times

Trying to hire the odd one left behind is not an option: the bike will not move.

From BBC

"It is very heightened, odd and a bit weird but you have to just enjoy it and try to find the fun in it."

From BBC

Related Words

• different 
• miscellaneous 
• unusual 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of odd?

Odd refers to a number that will have a remainder of 1 when divided by 2. Odd also describes something that is unusual or weird. Odd has many other senses as an adjective and a few as a noun.An odd number is any number that has a remainder of 1 when it’s divided by 2. For example, 7 divided by 2 is 3 with a remainder of 1. 7 is an odd number. On the other hand, 8 divided by 2 is 4 with no remainder. A number, such as 8, that has no remainder when divided by 2 is called an even number.Real-life examples: 5, 11, 37, and 649 are examples of odd numbers.Used in a sentence: I always like to cut my pizzas into an odd number of slices. Odd also describes something that is unusual or not what a person would expect.Real-life examples: People often make odd choices or odd decisions that catch other people by surprise. For example, it might be considered odd to go swimming in regular clothing because people usually wear a bathing suit. A firefighter showing up to a fire in an ice cream truck would be odd because they are expected to drive fire trucks, which have firefighting tools.Used in a sentence: They were caught off guard by the man’s odd choice of words. Odd can also refer to something that is very strange, weird, or bizarre.Real-life examples: Works of fantasy like the Harry Potter series often include very odd creatures, such as plant monsters or giant, flying jellyfish. In everyday life, people may display odd behavior, such as walking on their hands down the street.Used in a sentence: The circus clown drove an odd car that was shaped like a giant pie.