Etymology From Middle English straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, foreign”). Largely displaced native fremd, selcouth, and uncouth, from Old English fremede, seldcūþ, and uncūþ.
Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation.
He thought it strange that his girlfriend wore shorts in the winter.
I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange?1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
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Sated at length, ere long I might perceave / Strange alteration in me, to degree / Of Reason in my inward Powers, and Speech / Wanted not long, though to this shape retain’d.1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 598-601:
When you're strange / Faces come out of the rain / When you're strange / No one remembers your name1967, Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison, “People Are Strange”, performed by The Doors:
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Unfamiliar, not yet part of one's experience.
I moved to a strange town when I was ten.
[…] here is the hand and seal of the duke: you know the character, I doubt not; and the signet is not strange to you.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
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'I'm sure I should have never mentioned anything of the kind to three strange gentlemen if you hadn't dragged it out of me.'1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 105:
She's probably sitting there hoping a couple of strange detectives will drop in.1955 October, Rex Stout, “The Next Witness”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →ISBN, pages 48–49:
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Slang, Of sex Outside of one's current relationship; unfamiliar.
Genitals; etc; genitals; etc
When AIDS and Herpes hit the street Talib stopped fucking with strange pussy and stray pussy. Bitches had a ways to go to match Malikah in bed anyway. With her there was that extra element of real love that heightened sex […]2006, Black Butch Malone, Streetwise: N.Y. YO, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 47:
Arnett might have come to Boston to eat baked beans, get some strange ass, or stick up the First New England Trust, the motive mattered little to him—whatever the boss wanted to do was jake-okay by him. Besides, being on overtime for ...2009, David Karcher, Winter Kill, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 239:
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"You just need some strange dick, that's all.” Maureen rolled her eyes and gave her friend an exasperated look. “I'm a married woman, Catty.” “Uh-huh! I knew somethin' like this was goin' to happen after you married Mel."2014, Mary Monroe, Lost Daughters, Kensington Books, →ISBN:
The future mother of his child was not going out and getting laid by some strange dick. He'd tie her to his bed before he let that happen.2021, Ellis O. Day, The Billionaire's Baby, LSODea, →ISBN:
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Natural sciences, Physical sciences, PhysicsParticle Having the quantum mechanical property of strangeness.
A strange quark is electrically charged, carrying an amount -1/3, as does the down quark.2004, Frank Close, Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 93:
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Mathematics, Sciences Of an attractor: having a fractal structure.
I take goyng thither [to Italy], and liuing there, for a yonge ientleman, that doth not goe vnder the kepe and garde of such a man, as both, by wisedome can, and authoritie dare rewle him, to be meruelous dangerous […] not bicause I do contemne, either the knowledge of strange and diuerse tonges, and namelie the Italian tonge […] or else bicause I do despise, the learning that is gotten […]a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC:
[…] one of the strange queen’s lords.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
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How shall we sing the Lords song: in a strange land?1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 137:4:
I could not see the [Russian] Embassador in his coach; but his attendants in their habits and fur caps very handsome, comely men […] But Lord! to see the absurd nature of Englishmen, that cannot forbear laughing and jeering at every thing that looks strange.1662 December 6 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “November 27th, 1662”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume II, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893, →OCLC, page 377:
Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? say, when? / You grow exceeding strange: must it be so?c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
She may be strange and shy at first, but will soon learn to love thee!1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, chapter 19, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC, page 253:
That to his name your barrenneſſe adds rule; / VVho louing the effect, vvould not be ſtrange / In fauoring the cause; looke on the profit, / And gaine vvill quickly point the miſchiefe out.c. 1607–1621 (date written), [Francis Beaumont; John Fletcher; Philip Massinger], The Tragedy of Thierry King of France, and His Brother Theodoret. […], London: […] [Nicholas Okes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1621, →OCLC, Act III, scene i:
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Obsolete Not familiar; unaccustomed; inexperienced.
I know thee well; / But in thy fortunes am unlearn’d and strange.c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
Etymology From Middle English straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, foreign”). Largely displaced native fremd, selcouth, and uncouth, from Old English fremede, seldcūþ, and uncūþ.
Obsolete To wonder; to be astonished at (something).
[I]f the world and motion were not from Eternity, then God was Idle; were all the Aſſertions of Ariſtotle, which Theology pronounceth impieties. Which yet we need not ſtrange at from one, of whom a Father ſaith, Nec Deum coluit nec curavit [he neither worshipped nor cared for God]: […]1661, Joseph Glanvill, chapter XIX, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing: Or Confidence in Opinions. […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC, page 184:
strange
noun
Etymology From Middle English straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, foreign”). Largely displaced native fremd, selcouth, and uncouth, from Old English fremede, seldcūþ, and uncūþ.
It was a bar by license, but in hiring practice it became an intergalactic smorgasbord of xenosexual delights, females of fancy species serving drinks and offering cultural exchange to human males seeking some strange.2010, Larry Doyle, “Back Seat Dating”, in Go, Mutants!: A Novel, 1st edition (Fiction), HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 123:
All he has to do is walk into a bar, and he can get some Strange.'” “Oh yeah, Tom,” I mutter, “that's exactly how it was, every Saturday night. Nothing but Strange. Up here too.”2017, J.D. Kleinke, Dudeville:
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Natural sciences, Physical sciences, PhysicsParticle A strange quark.