CURIOSITY

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

Synonyms:

curio; curiosity; oddity; oddment; peculiarity; rarity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("curiosity" is a kind of...):

object; physical object (a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "curiosity"):

bric-a-brac; knickknack; knickknackery; nicknack; whatnot (miscellaneous curios)

collectable; collectible (things considered to be worth collecting (not necessarily valuable or antique))

collector's item; piece de resistance; showpiece (the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection)

Derivation:

curious (beyond or deviating from the usual or expected)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A state in which you want to learn more about something

Synonyms:

curiosity; wonder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("curiosity" is a kind of...):

cognitive state; state of mind (the state of a person's cognitive processes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "curiosity"):

desire to know; lust for learning; thirst for knowledge (curiosity that motivates investigation and study)

interest; involvement (a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something)

curiousness; inquisitiveness (a state of active curiosity)

Derivation:

curious (eager to investigate and learn or learn more (sometimes about others' concerns))

Credits

Context examples:

The area of your chart that will be lit up for you rules curiosity, so you have options to explore if you want to engage your mind with new concepts.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It’s six now, so if you care for a stroll this beautiful evening I shall be very happy to introduce you to two curiosities.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Martin Eden had been mastered by curiosity all his days.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“Well, well, he excites my curiosity, and I must really know before I leave him.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have really a curiosity to see the person who can give occasion to such directly opposite notions.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Now I'll quench the curiosity of this little Fatima, my dear Daisy, by leaving her nothing to guess at.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

They have, for the first stages, two men to ride and lead their spare horses—four in all, so as not to excite curiosity.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Darcy professed a great curiosity to see the view from the Mount, and Elizabeth silently consented.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

But they had no curiosity to see how Mr. and Mrs. Palmer ate their dinner, and no expectation of pleasure from them in any other way.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

It was not mere curiosity, though I have my share of that.