curiosity

American  

[kyoor-ee-os-i-tee] / ˌkyʊər iˈɒs ɪ ti /

noun

plural

curiosities

1. the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.

   The lesson provoked their curiosity about the natural world.

   She feels that tolerance is fed by knowledge, an open mind, and curiosity about others.

2. a curious, rare, or novel thing.

   Exhibits on display will include such curiosities as preserved smells, infrared briefcases, and cameras hidden in coats.

3. a strange, curious, or interesting quality or feature.

   How bankers from Nova Scotia set up in the Caribbean in the 1880s is a curiosity of financial history.

   One of the human brain's many curiosities is its tendency to see faces in abstract shapes.

4. Archaic. carefulness; fastidiousness.

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idioms

1. curiosity killed the cat, being too inquisitive is dangerous.

   I'd really like to know what's going on in the boss's head, but then, curiosity killed the cat.

curiosity British  

/ ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. an eager desire to know; inquisitiveness

2. 1. the quality of being curious; strangeness

   2. ( as modifier )

      the ring had curiosity value only

3. something strange or fascinating

4. a rare or strange object; curio

5. obsolete fastidiousness

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Other Word Forms

• noncuriosity noun
• overcuriosity noun

Etymology

Origin of curiosity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English curiosite, either from Anglo-French or directly from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōs(us) curious + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

He absorbed the scientific discoveries of his age with both curiosity and unease.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Rana’s curiosity leads her far from home, she must call on her memory of her mother’s stories and, with the help of an obliging polar bear, find her own way back.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nagi says these murals spark curiosity among residents and, in the long run, can also help bring about a change in people's behaviour and attitudes.

From BBC

We leave the show realizing that Viollet-le-Duc was one of the world’s great pictorial thinkers, whose graphic curiosity recognized no boundaries between geology, anatomy and architecture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hillenbrand said she tries to approach the discussions with curiosity rather than taking an accusatory stance, particularly when suspect theories arise.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• concern
• inquisitiveness
• interest