Page 100 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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eccentric* (ek SEN trik) adj. 1. not having the same center; 2. not exactly circular
in shape or motion; 3. deviating from the norm, as in behavior; odd; unconventional
• If one circle is drawn inside another and they are not concentric, they
must be eccentric.
• A football is of an eccentric shape.
• Unless one who dresses in a red wig with matching suspenders and over-
sized shoes is a clown, he or she would have to be called more than a bit
eccentric.
eclectic (ek LEK tik) adj. 1. taken from various sources, systems, or doctrines;
2. made up of materials gathered from many different sources, systems, etc.
• A good historian gathers his or her information from eclectic sources rather
than just one.
• Eclectic is the only way to describe the earliest computers, which were
made from vacuum tubes and a variety of condensers and resistors.
ecological* (ek uh LAH ji kl) adj. having to do with the relations between liv-
ing things and their environment or a certain organism and its environment
• The plants and animals that live in and around a pond have their own
intertwined ecological subsystem.
• Urban sprawl’s ecological impact can be clearly seen in the presence of deer
and bears on suburban roadways.
economic (ek uh NAH mik) adj. 1. dealing with the management of income,
expenditures, etc. of a household, business, community, or government; 2. con-
cerning the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth; 3. concerned
with the material needs of people; —pl. the social science that is concerned with
the preceding
• The economic well-being of his or her household is a major concern to the
head of any family.
• The indices of economic indicators give a reading of how well the country’s
economy is doing.
• People’s main economic needs are as much as it takes for them to live
comfortably.
• Economics is the social science devoted to the study of supply and demand.
[-ally adv.]
ecstatic (ek STA tik) adj. 1. having the nature of being overpowered by joy, hap-
piness, or rapture; 2. causing or caused by ecstasy
• Morissa was absolutely ecstatic over the raise in salary that she had
received.
• It was an ecstatic day for the world champions.
[-ally adv.]

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