See Also:

odd (iou)



odd adjective, noun, & adverb. ME.
[from Old Norse odda- in odda-maer third or odd man who gives a casting vote, from oddi point, angle. Cf. ODDS noun.]
A. adjective.
I.
Remaining over after division into pairs or equal parts; that is one in addition to a pair. ME.
D. Bagley I was invited as a makeweight for the odd girl.
Of a whole number: having one left over as remainder when divided by two. Of a thing in a series: numbered with or known by such a number. Opp. even. LME.
Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor This is the third time; I hope good luck lies in odd numbers.
b. Math. Of a function of one variable: having the property that changing the sign of the argument changes the sign, but not the magnitude, of the function (i.e. f(x)=f(x)). L19.
c. Physics. Having odd parity. M20.
Forming indefinite compound cardinal numerals or quantifiers with multiples of ten or similar units (as dozen): somewhat more than (the preceding number). Also and odd. LME.
M. Arnold The eighty and odd pigeons. W. Sheed Forty-odd years before.
Of a surplus over a definite sum: by which a given sum of money, weight, etc., is slightly exceeded. LME.
Addison Two hundred Pounds Five Shillings, and a few odd Pence.
II.
That exists or stands alone; single, solitary. Now dial. ME.
Distinguished; unique, remarkable; renowned. LME-L17.
Not level or aligned, uneven; diverse, different. LME-L16.
b. fig. At variance or strife (with). M16-E17.
Not regulated, connected, or planned; occasional, irregular, casual; occurring randomly or haphazardly. LME.
S. Radley He didn't..drink..more than the odd pint. M. Coren He still wrote in..the odd moments..left free.
b. Of a place: out of the way; secluded. Now chiefly in odd corner. L16.
Tennyson From some odd corner of the brain.
c. Extra; given over and above. Only in E17.
d. Forming part of an incomplete pair or set; that does not match with other garments etc. M18.
H. Mayhew Odd numbers of periodicals and broadsheets. P. Carey He..sat down..to reveal footballer's legs and odd socks.
Different from what is expected or usual; strange, extraordinary, unusual; eccentric, bizarre, peculiar; unexpected, surprising. L16.
R. L. Stevenson A marshy tract..of..odd, outlandish, swampy trees. T. Hardy Modern attire looking..odd where everything else was old-fashioned. I. Origo It is odd how used one can become to uncertainty.
b. noun.
An odd number; an odd or extra person or thing. Long rare or obsolete. LME.
odd and even, odd or even a children's game in which a player has to guess at the number of objects held in another player's closed hand.
A surplus over a definite sum; the amount by which a given sum of money, weight, etc., is slightly exceeded. Also in indefinite numerals and quantifiers: see sense A.3 above. LME.
T. Hood His death..At forty-odd befell.
Golf. A handicap of one stroke at each hole (now rare). Also, a stroke which makes a player's total for the hole one more than the opponent's (cf. LIKE noun2 5). M19.
Special collocations & comb.: oddball noun & adjective (colloq. orig. US) (a) noun an eccentric or odd person; (b) adjective eccentric, peculiar. odd bod slang a strange or eccentric person. odd-come-short arch. (a) a remnant, a remainder (orig. of cloth); (b) in pl., odds and ends. odd-come-shortly arch. some day or other in the near future. odd-even adjective (Nuclear Physics) (a) pertaining to nuclei of odd and those of even mass number; (b) designating nuclei containing an odd number of protons and an even number of neutrons. Oddfellow a member of a social and charitable society or fraternity, resembling the Freemasons, founded in the 18th cent. Oddfellowship the status of an Oddfellow; the principles and organization of the Oddfellows. odd job a casual isolated piece of (esp. domestic or routine) work; odd job man, a person who does odd jobs. odd jobber = odd job man above. odd lot an incomplete set or random mixture (of goods). odd-lot adjective (Stock Exchange) involving a number of shares smaller than is normally dealt in. odd man the person in an odd-numbered group able to give the casting vote; odd man out, a method of selecting one person from a group of three or more, e.g. by tossing a coin; a person or thing differing from all others of a group in some respect. odd-odd adjective (Nuclear Physics) (a) pertaining to nuclei of odd mass number only; (b) designating nuclei containing odd numbers of protons and neutrons. odd parity: see PARITY noun1 3d. odd-pinnate adjective (Botany) (of a leaf) pinnate with an odd terminal leaflet. oddside Founding a temporary cope in which part of a pattern is bedded while the final mould is made of the upper, exposed portion. odd-toed adjective having an odd number of toes. odd trick Cards in whist, the thirteenth trick, won by one side after each side has won six; in bridge, each trick after six won by the declarer.
C. adverb. In an odd manner, oddly. Now non-standard. LME.
oddish adjective E18.
oddly adverb in an odd manner; strangely, unusually; surprisingly: LME.
oddness noun the quality or fact of being odd; something odd, a discrepancy, a peculiarity: LME.