Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Curiosity
Cuˊri-os′i-ty
(kūˊrĭ-ŏs′ĭ-ty̆)
, Noun.
pl.
Curiosities
(-tĭz)
. 1.
The state or quality or being curious; nicety; accuracy; exactness; elaboration.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
When thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much
curiosity
. Shakespeare
A screen accurately cut in tapiary work . . . with great
curiosity
. Evelin.
2.
Disposition to inquire, investigate, or seek after knowledge; a desire to gratify the mind with new information or objects of interest; inquisitiveness.
Milton.
3.
That which is curious, or fitted to excite or reward attention.
We took a ramble together to see the
curiosities
of this great town. Addison.
There hath been practiced also a
curiosity
, to set a tree upon the north side of a wall, and, at a little hieght, to draw it through the wall, etc. Bacon.
Webster 1828 Edition
Curiosity
CURIOSITY
,Noun.
1.
A strong desire to see something novel, or to discover something unknown, either by research or inquiry; a desire to gratify the senses with a sight of what is new or unusual, or to gratify the mind with new discoveries; inquisitiveness. A mans curiosity leads him to view the ruins of Balbec, to investigate the origin of Homer, to discover the component parts of a mineral, or the motives of anothers actions.2.
Nicety; delicacy.3.
Accuracy; exactness; nice performance; curiousness; as the curiosity of workmanship.4.
A nice experiment; a thing unusual or worthy of curiosity.There hath been practiced a curiosity, to set a tree on the north side of a walk and at a little height, to draw it through the wall, &c.
5.
An object of curiosity; that which excites a desire of seeing, or deserves to be seen, as novel and extraordinary.We took a ramble together to see the curiosities of this great town.
[The first and last senses are chiefly used.]
Definition 2024
curiosity
curiosity
English
Noun
curiosity (countable and uncountable, plural curiosities)
- (obsolete) Careful, delicate construction; fine workmanship, delicacy of building. [16th-19th c.]
- 1631, John Smith, Advertisements, in Kupperman 1988, p. 81:
- wee built a homely thing like a barne, set upon Cratchets, covered with rafts, sedge, and earth, so also was the walls; the best of our houses of the like curiosity, but the most part farre much worse workmanship [...].
- 1631, John Smith, Advertisements, in Kupperman 1988, p. 81:
- (uncountable) Inquisitiveness; the tendency to ask and learn about things by asking questions, investigating, or exploring. [from 17th c.]
- 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
- It was the first time that the lawyer had been received in that part of his friend's quarters; and he eyed the dingy, windowless structure with curiosity, and gazed round with a distasteful sense of strangeness as he crossed the theatre
- 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, p 39:
- "Certainly there is nothing wrong with Alvin's intelligence, but many of the things that should concern him seem to be a matter of complete indifference. On the other hand, he shows a morbid curiosity regarding subjects which we do not generally discuss."
- 2013 September-October, Terrie Moffitt et al., “Lifelong Impact of Early Self-Control”, in American Scientist:
- Curiosity about the power of self-control skills, which include conscientiousness, self-discipline, and perseverance, arose from recent empirical observations that preschool Head Start, an ambitious, federally funded program of special services launched in 1965 to boost the intellectual development of needy children, has failed to achieve the goal of boosting IQ scores. But the programs have unexpectedly succeeded in lowering the former pupils’ rates of teen pregnancy, school dropout, delinquency, and work absenteeism.
- 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
- A unique or extraordinary object which arouses interest. [from 17th c.]
- He put the strangely shaped rock in his curiosity cabinet.
Synonyms
Antonyms
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Related terms
Translations
inquisitiveness; the tendency to ask questions, investigate, or explore
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unique or extraordinary object which arouses interest
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