strange

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”). Displaced native Middle English selcouth and uncouth, from Old English seldcūþ and uncūþ.

adj

1. Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary.
   He thought it strange that his girlfriend wore shorts in the winter.
   When you're strange / Faces come out of the rain / When you're strange / No one remembers your name 1967, Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison (lyrics and music), “People Are Strange”, performed by The Doors
2. Unfamiliar, not yet part of one's experience.
   I moved to a strange town when I was ten.
   '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, pages 48–49
3. (slang, of sex, genitals, etc) Outside of one's current relationship; unfamiliar.
   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, 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, page 239
   "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
   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
4. (particle physics) 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
5. (mathematics) Of an attractor: having a fractal structure.
6. (obsolete) Belonging to another country; foreign.
7. (obsolete) Reserved; distant in deportment.
8. (obsolete) Backward; slow.
9. (obsolete) Not familiar; unaccustomed; inexperienced.
10. (law) Not belonging to one.

verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To alienate; to estrange.
2. (obsolete, intransitive) To be estranged or alienated.
3. (obsolete, intransitive) To wonder; to be astonished at (something).

noun

1. (slang, uncountable) Sex outside of one's current relationship.
   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
2. (particle physics, countable) A strange quark.