ECCENTRIC'ITY, noun Deviation from a center. 1. The state of having a center different from that of another circle. 2. In astronomy, the distance of the center of a planet's orbit from the center of the sun; that is, the distance between the center of an ellipsis and its focus. 3. Departure or deviation from that which is stated, regular or usual; as the eccentricity of a man's genius or conduct. 4. Excursion from the proper sphere.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI