curio
Americannoun
plural
curiosnoun
Usage
What does curio mean? A curio is a small object that’s unusual, novel, or interesting, typically one that’s part of a collection of other such objects.A curio can also be called a curiosity, and in fact it’s a shortening of that word. In a curio collection, there is often a variety of objects. The requirement for an item’s addition to the collection is usually just that it has to be curious, meaning that it arouses curiosity or is interesting in some way.Just about any small thing that one finds interesting can be called a curio, but the word is most often applied to things like antique trinkets, small handcrafted items, or natural objects, like rocks, fossils, and shells.The word curio is commonly associated with the type of case often used to display such collections, which is called a curio cabinet and usually looks like a bookcase with glass doors. The term curio shop typically refers to a souvenir shop that sells curios and other novelty items.Example: When I travel, I like to buy things made by local artisans to add to my curio collection.
Etymology
Origin of curio
First recorded in 1850–55; shortened from curiosity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Locals shuffled through makeshift aisles bounded by curio cabinets, wardrobes and home bars styled with faux cocktails for an imaginary party.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
Maybe there’s something in the frigid water, as both he and the town’s other beloved cult curio, Guy Maddin, make eccentric odes to their humble homeland.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2025
Discovery is certainly the operative word when exploring The Shabby French Market, a Parisian-style arcade filled with antiques, heirloom jewelry and pretty much every curio one can imagine.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023
It was a pioneering work, and a popular one, that has become an infrequently revived curio.
From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2023
Along with the stifling crowds, there were jugglers and swordsmen and curio sellers and camels lumbering under the weight of tourists in starched suits and petticoats.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
