curiosity

[ kyoor-ee-os-i-tee ]

noun

, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties.

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.

curiosity

/ 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

Other Words From

• non·cu·ri·os·i·ty noun
• o·ver·cu·ri·os·i·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of curiosity¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

There’s been a lot of quarterback movement around the league — and a lot of curiosity specifically about what the change at QB will mean for New England and Tampa Bay — but those moves haven’t affected our predictions too much.

From FiveThirtyEight

By showing genuine curiosity in the families’ experience, Martinez said, the team is often able to get them to open up.

From Voice of San Diego

If for no other reason than curiosity, investigate Bitcoin and digital assets and see what everyone is talking about.

From Fortune

Nevertheless, the Ising model survived as a mathematical curiosity.

From Quanta Magazine

Consider, for example, the dodecahedron, a favorite object in many mathematical cabinets of curiosities.

From Quanta Magazine

I noticed a picture of her daughter, who was my classmate, and out of curiosity visited her page.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, I publicly vowed to abstain from The Ball in 2012, but professional responsibilities and curiosity got the better of me.

From The Daily Beast

I remember being appalled that he killed off Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop.

From The Daily Beast

However, several probes—most recently the Curiosity rover—have measured methane in the Martian atmosphere.

From The Daily Beast

“Curiosity cabinets are really a 16th century thing of trying to understand the world,” Wynd says.

From The Daily Beast

Sam sat opposite him in perfect silence, waiting, with eager curiosity, for the termination of the scene.

From Project Gutenberg

She had never had this curiosity in relation to George Cannon--she had only wondered about his affairs with other women.

From Project Gutenberg

Miss Thangue sat forward with the frank curiosity of the Englishwoman when inspecting a foreign specimen.

From Project Gutenberg

Her directness had made all possible 'buts' seem ridiculous and futile, and had made the expression of curiosity seem offensive.

From Project Gutenberg

She had done with little things, and Isabel, with young curiosity, wondered in what convulsion the last of them had gone down.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• concern
• inquisitiveness
• interest