uncommon; unusual: the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.
3.
distinctive in nature or character from others.
4.
belonging characteristically (usually fol. by to): an expression peculiar to Canadians.
5.
belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing: the peculiar properties of a drug.
6.
Astronomy. designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.
–noun
7.
a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.
8.
British. a particular parish or church that is exempted from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop in whose diocese it lies and is governed by another.
9.
peculiars. Also called arbitraries.British Printing. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME; < L pecūliāris as one's own, equiv. to pecūli(um) property (deriv. of pecū flock, farm animals; akin to pecus cattle (see fee)) + -āris-ar1]
c.1460, from L. peculiaris "of one's own (property)," from peculium "private property," lit. "property in cattle" (in ancient times the most important form of property), from pecu "cattle, flock," related to pecus "cattle" (see pecuniary). Meaning of "unusual" is first attested 1608; peculiarity "special characteristic" is from 1646; noun meaning "an oddity" is 1777.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" [syn: curious]
2.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category; "the particular demands of the job"; "has a particular preference for Chinese art"; "a peculiar bond of sympathy between them"; "an expression peculiar to Canadians"; "rights peculiar to the rich"; "the special features of a computer"; "my own special chair" [syn: particular]
3.
markedly different from the usual; "a peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats"; "a man...feels it a peculiar insult to be taunted with cowardice by a woman"-Virginia Woolf
4.
characteristic of one only; distinctive or special; "the peculiar character of the Government of the U.S."- R.B.Taney
Peculiar, MO (city, FIPS 56756) Location: 38.72309 N, 94.45786 W Population (1990): 1777 (673 housing units) Area: 3.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 64078
Es*pe"cial\, a. [OF. especial, F. sp['e]cial, L. specialis, fr. species a particular sort, kind, or quality. See Species, and cf. Special.] Distinguished among others of the same class or kind; special; concerning a species or a single object; principal; particular; as, in an especial manner or degree. Syn: Peculiar; special; particular; uncommon; chief. See Peculiar.
Pec"u*late\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peculated; p. pr. & vb. n. Peculating.] [L. peculatus, p. p. of peculari to peculate, akin to peculium private property. See Peculiar.] To appropriate to one's own use the property of the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle. An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism. --Burke.
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