See Also: idiosyncrasy(medicine)
idiosyncrasy(dictionary)
idiosyncrasy(dictionary)

idiosyncrasy (iou)



idiosyncrasy noun. E17.
[Greek idiosugkrasia, -krasis, from idios IDIO- + sugkrasis commixture, tempering, from sun- SYN- + krasis CRASIS.]
Orig., the physical constitution peculiar to an individual. Now only in Medicine, abnormal individual sensitivity to a food or drug. E17.
A mental constitution, view, feeling, or mode of behaviour peculiar to a person, nation, etc.; something highly individualized or eccentric. M17.
C. Beaton The surprised eyebrows..the bold gestures..all of these idiosyncrasies are derived from Lina Cavalieri. C. Rycroft The absence of imagery accompanying thought seems to be an idiosyncrasy common among scientists. R. Strange My intentions have been orthodox. Idiosyncrasy would be misplaced here.
A mode of expression peculiar to an author. M19.