Iiosyncrasy, from Greek ιδιοσυγκρασία, idiosunkrasia, "a peculiar temperament", "habit of body" (idios "one's own" and syn-krasis "mixture"). It is defined as an individualizing quality or characteristic of a person or group, and is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. The term can also be applied to symbols. Idiosyncratic symbols mean one thing for a particular person, as a blade could mean war, but to someone else, it could symbolize a surgery. By the same principle, linguists state that words are not only arbitrary, but also largely idiosyncratic signs.