# peculiar

Pronunciation: US say "pi-KYOOL-yur" /pɪˈkjul.jɚ/; say "pi-KYOO-lee-uh" UK /pɪˈkjuː.li.ə/, AUS /pɪˈkjʉː.li.ə/

## Adjective

1. Strange or out of the ordinary; unusual in an odd or unexpected way.
   - Simple: Strange or unusual, often in a way that catches your attention.
   - _The old house had a peculiar atmosphere that made visitors uneasy._
   - _He has a peculiar habit of humming whenever he concentrates._
2. Typical of or distinctive to a particular place, group, or set of circumstances.
   - Simple: Belonging to or typical of one particular place, group, or thing.
   - _The bright plumage is peculiar to males of this species._
   - _Certain harvest customs are peculiar to small mountain villages._

## Noun

3. A quality, right, or property belonging exclusively to one person, group, or thing; a distinguishing characteristic.
   - Simple: A quality or right that belongs to only one person or thing.
   - _That gift for languages was a peculiar of the eldest daughter alone._
   - _The crown claimed minting coins as a peculiar reserved to the king._
4. A parish, chapel, or church lying outside the authority of the bishop of the diocese in which it stands. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A church or parish that is not controlled by the local bishop.
   - _Westminster Abbey is a royal peculiar, answering directly to the Crown._
   - _Several medieval peculiars escaped the bishop's oversight entirely._

## Adjective

5. Belonging to or possessed by one individual alone; not shared with others. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Belonging to one person alone and to no one else.
   - _The estate was peculiar to the eldest son, passing to no one else._
   - _Each guild kept rights that were peculiar to its own members._
6. Particular or special; suited or appropriate to a specific person, thing, or purpose. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Special and suited to one particular thing or purpose.
   - _Each rite required vestments peculiar to its solemn purpose._
   - _The honor was peculiar to those who had served with distinction._

## Origin

From Latin pecūliāris ("one's own"), which comes from pecūlium ("private property"), itself from pecus ("cattle").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/peculiar (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).