Etymology Borrowed from Middle French exotique, from Latin exōticus, from Ancient Greek ἐξωτικός (exōtikós, “foreign”, literally “from the outside”), from ἐξω- (exō-, “outside”), from ἐξ (ex, “out of”).
Nothing was so splendid and exotic as the ambassador.1682 December 3 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 24 November 1682]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:
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“Two or three months more went by ; the public were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this semi-exotic claimant to an English peerage, and sensations, surpassing those of the Tichbourne case, were looked forward to with palpitating interest.[…]”1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tremarn Case”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
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Non-native to the ecosystem.
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extraterrestial, alien
exotic materials
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Business, Finance Being or relating to an option with features that make it more complex than commonly traded options.
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Gambling, Games Being or relating to various wagers, such as the trifecta, that involve betting on the finishing positions of multiple competitors across one or more races.
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Biology, Medicine, Natural sciences, Pathology, Sciences, Veterinary, Zoology Denoting or relating to any animal that is not a cat or dog, requiring specialised healthcare
Etymology Borrowed from Middle French exotique, from Latin exōticus, from Ancient Greek ἐξωτικός (exōtikós, “foreign”, literally “from the outside”), from ἐξω- (exō-, “outside”), from ἐξ (ex, “out of”).
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An organism that is exotic to an environment; an introduced species.
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A person not native to a particular area; a foreigner.
There were a few exotics among them — some South American boys, sons of Argentine beef barons, one or two Russians, and even a Siamese prince, or someone who was described as a prince.c. 1948, George Orwell, Such, Such Were the Joys:
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An exotic dancer; a stripteaser.
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Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Any exotic particle.
Glueballs, theoretical particles composed only of gluons, are exotics.