From Middle English curiosite, variant of curiouste, from Anglo-Norman curiouseté, from Latin cūriōsitātem, accusative of cūriōsitās.

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kyo͝or"ēŏs'ətē, kyôr"ēŏs'ətē, IPA: /ˌkjʊəɹiˈɒsəti/, /ˌkjɔːɹiˈɒsəti/, /-ɪti/
• (General American) enPR: kyo͝or"ēŏs'ətē, kyûr"ēŏs'ətē, IPA: /ˌkjʊəɹiˈɑsəti/, /ˌkjɚiˈɑsəti/, /-ɪti/
• (dialectal or informal) enPR: kyo͝o"rŏs'ətē, kyô"rŏs'ətē, kyû"rŏs'ətē, IPA: /ˌkjʊəˈɹɒsəti/, /ˌkjɔːˈɹɒsəti/, /ˌkjɜːˈɹɒsəti/

curiosity

1. (uncountable) Inquisitiveness; the tendency to ask and learn about things by asking questions, investigating, or exploring. [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: inquisitiveness

   Antonyms: ignorance

   • 1886 January 4, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC ↗:

     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, page 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."

2. A unique or extraordinary object which arouses interest. [from 17th c.]

   He put the strangely shaped rock in his curiosity cabinet.

3. (obsolete) Careful, delicate construction; fine workmanship, delicacy of building. [16th]

• curious

• French: curiosité
• German: Neugier, Neugierde
• Italian: curiosità
• Portuguese: curiosidade
• Russian: любопы́тство
• Spanish: curiosidad

• French: curiosité
• German: Kuriosität, Kuriosum
• Italian: curiosità
• Portuguese: curiosidade
• Russian: дико́вина