Bizarrenesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of peculiar or unconventional qualities exhibited by objects, behaviors, or situations
2. instances of strange or outlandish features that provoke curiosity and wonder
3. the state or condition of being strange or unusual, often leading to surprise or confusion

Etymology: "Bizarreness" is a plain English formation: the adjective "bizarre" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. "Bizarrenesses" is simply its plural, used for several distinct instances of that quality rather than the quality in general. The adjective "bizarre" is the more interesting part of the story. It entered English from French "bizarre," which in turn came from Spanish or Italian, where "bizarro" meant "brave" or "gallant," with the sense of dashing or spirited display. The meaning drifted from admirable boldness toward eccentricity and oddity, so the word's earliest sense was a compliment that later shaded into a description of things that are unusual or hard to classify. The suffix "-ness" is an old native English element, descending from Old English "-nes," which was used to form abstract nouns from adjectives. Attaching it to "bizarre" gives a noun describing the state of being bizarre, and the plural form picks out particular peculiar features that prompt wonder.

Synonyms: strangeness, weirdness, peculiarity, oddity, anomaly

Antonyms: normality, regularity, ordinariness