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curiosity

[ kyoor-ee-os-i-tee ]
/ ˌkyʊər iˈɒs ɪ ti /
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noun, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties.
the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.
a curious, rare, or novel thing.
a strange, curious, or interesting quality.
Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.
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Origin of curiosity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English curiosite, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin cūriōsitā; see curious, -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM curiosity

non·cu·ri·os·i·ty, nouno·ver·cu·ri·os·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use curiosity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for curiosity

curiosity
/ (ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties
an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness
  1. the quality of being curious; strangeness
  2. (as modifier)the ring had curiosity value only
something strange or fascinating
a rare or strange object; curio
obsolete fastidiousness
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
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