The university hired an eccentric professor known for his unconventional teaching methods.

eccentric 是形容词，由前缀 ec-（表示"向外"）和词根 centric（"中心的"）组成，字面意思是"偏离中心的"。引申为"古怪的、异常的"，形容人或行为与众不同、不循常规。