curious

== English == === Etymology 1 === From Middle English curious, from Old French curius, from Latin cūriōsus. The English word is cognate with Italian curioso, Occitan curios, Portuguese curioso, and Spanish curioso. Displaced native Old English firwitġeorn. ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkjʊə.ɹi.əs/, /ˈkjɔː-/ (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /ˈkjɵːɹɪjəs/, /ˈkjoː-/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkjʊɹ.i.əs/, /ˈkjɝ.i.əs/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈkjʉɾe.əs/, [ˈkjʉːɾe.əs] (US, dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈkjʊ.ɹəs/ Hyphenation: cu‧ri‧ous Rhymes: -ʊəɹiəs ==== Adjective ==== curious (comparative more curious or curiouser, superlative most curious or curiousest) Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying. Synonyms: enquiring, inquiring; (obsolete) exquisitive; investigative; (rare) peery Antonyms: incurious, noncurious, uncurious Caused by curiosity. Leading one to ask questions about; somewhat odd, out of the ordinary, or unusual. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:strange Antonym: uncurious 1485 – Thomas Malory. Le Morte Darthur, Book X, Chapter xxxi, leaf 232v Thenne at the mete cam in Elyas the harper & by cause he was a curyous harper men herd hym synge the same lay that Dynadan had made "Then at the meat came in Eliot the harper, and because he was a curious harper men heard him sing the same lay that Dinadan had made" (LGBTQ) Clipping of bi-curious. (in combination) Interested in entering a romantic or sexual relationship with a specified group. (obsolete) Careful, fastidious, particular; (specifically) demanding a high standard of excellence, difficult to satisfy. (obsolete) Carefully or artfully constructed; made with great elegance or skill. ===== Usage notes ===== The comparative and superlative forms curiouser and curiousest are regarded as informal or nonstandard. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From curi(um) + -ous. ==== Adjective ==== curious (not comparable) (inorganic chemistry, rare) Containing or pertaining to trivalent curium. === References === === Further reading === curiosity on Wikipedia.Wikipedia curious (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia