curio

[ kyoor-ee-oh ]

/ ˈkyʊər iˌoʊ /

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noun, plural cu·ri·os.

any unusual article, object of art, etc., valued as a curiosity.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of curio

First recorded in 1850–55; shortened from curiosity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use curio in a sentence

Knowing that we were anxious to collect such curios as were available, he produced all kinds of things for our inspection.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
They come from the Sister Isle, where there are still curios to be met with.
Chats on Household Curios|Fred W. Burgess
Some of the most wonderful curios have been cut by hand, fashioned with skill.
Chats on Household Curios|Fred W. Burgess
"Mr. Lyne was very fond of distributing the curios he brought from the East to his friends," he went on.
The Daffodil Mystery|Edgar Wallace

His grandmother sat over her accounts at her desk in a corner among her curios.
Children of the Whirlwind|Leroy Scott

British Dictionary definitions for curio

curio

/ (ˈkjʊərɪˌəʊ) /

noun plural -rios

a small article valued as a collector's item, esp something fascinating or unusual

Word Origin for curio

C19: shortened from curiosity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

curio

Origin of curio

Words related to curio

How to use curio in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for curio

Word Origin for curio