26984 words

curiosity

4 definitions • 10 examples
1
an eager wish to know or learn about something:

Examples:

satisfy someone's curiosity Give your child just enough information to satisfy their curiosity.
arouse someone's curiosity The title of the book aroused my curiosity.
excite someone's curiosity The girls had an air of secrecy that excited her curiosity.
burn with curiosity I'm burning with curiosity - you must tell me who won!
out of curiosity She decided to call her ex-boyfriend out of curiosity.
idle curiosity "Why do you ask?" "Oh, just idle curiosity (= for no particular reason)."
2
something that is interesting because it is rare and unusual:

Examples:

Cars like mine are curiosities nowadays.
curiosity value I kept this old pot for its curiosity value (= the interest it has because it is unusual).
3
an eager desire to know or learn about something:

Examples:

Just out of curiosity I decided to go through the files.
4
something that is interesting because it is rare and unusual:

Examples:

The museum had a collection of mummies and Egyptian curiosities.

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