English Explanatory Dictionary

oddball

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An eccentric or unusual person.
  2. A deviant stimulus that appears among repetitive stimuli during an experiment, to trigger an event-related potential in the participant.
adj
  1. Exotic, not mainstream.

Pronunciation

/ˈɑːdˌbɔl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-oddball.wav

Word forms

oddball oddballs

Etymology

Compound of odd + ball. First used in late 1930s, describing an extra ball played as a bonus in pin-ball type games. Well-attested since the 1940s, with the adjective appearing earlier than the noun.

Synonyms

odd duck strange fish queer fish weirdo kook

Related words

goofball

Derived words

oddballery oddballish
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