strange

/ˈstrānj/

Middle English straunge, strange, straynge "foreign, unfamiliar, from elsewhere, unusual, aloof," borrowed from Anglo-French estrange, estraunge "outside the family, foreign, unusual, marvelous" (continental Old French estrange), going back to Latin extrāneus "not belonging to one's family or household, coming from abroad, foreign, external," from extrā "outside, beyond the boundaries of" + -āneus, adjective suffix

adjective

  1. different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected : odd

  2. not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar

  3. not entirely comfortable or well : uncomfortable, ill at ease

a strange sound

customs that were strange to him

strange singular unique peculiar eccentric erratic odd quaint outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected. strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

noun

  1. a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of —1/3 and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV; also : the flavor characterizing this particle

idiom

  1. —used to say that something is unusual or unexpected