formal adjective
- abnormal or irregular: the book suffers from the heteroclite and ill-fitting nature of its various elements
noun
- an abnormal thing or person
- an irregularly declined word, especially a Greek or Latin noun
[“The Island” — Lord Byron]
Lexicon
adj.
enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves. “a “hands-on” or interactive heuristic approach to learning”
noun
a heuristic process or method.
A heuristic technique, or a heuristic (/hjʊəˈrɪstɪk/; Ancient Greek: εὑρίσκω, heurískō, ‘I find, discover’), is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, short-term goal or approximation. Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution. Heuristics can be mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision.
[Paul Sas, in an introductory course discussion on Hyperlink Academy]