Cu`ri*os"i*ty (kū`r&ibreve;*&obreve;s"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;), n.;
pl. Curiosities (- t&ibreve;z). [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioseté, curiosité, F. curiosité, fr. L.
curiositas, fr. curiosus. See Curious, and cf. Curio.] 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.
Shak. 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.
This site was used  times.
|
Hear it pronounced