eccentricity

noun pl. eccentricities

1. the state, quality, or amount of being eccentric
2. 1. deviation from what is ordinary or customary, as in conduct or manner; oddity; unconventionality
   2. an eccentric trait or habit; peculiarity
3. Math. the ratio of the distances from any point of a conic section to the focus and to the directrix: the value of this ratio determines the type of conic section (zero = circle, between zero and one = ellipse, one = parabola, more than one = hyperbola)
4. Mech. the distance between the center of a shaft and the center of its eccentric wheel: sometimes, erroneously, called a throw

Origin: see eccentric