curiosity

The definition of curiosity is anything strange or rare, or having an interesting in learning or knowing something.

(noun)

An example of a curiosity is a little known and interesting fact about a subject.
An example of curiosity is always asking questions, reading books and going out to try to learn about the world.

See curiosity in Webster's New World College Dictionary

a desire to learn or know
a desire to learn about things that do not properly concern one; inquisitiveness
anything curious, strange, rare, or novel
Obsolete the quality of being careful, scrupulous, or fastidious

Origin: ME curiousite < OFr curiosité < L curiositas < curiosus: see curious

See curiosity in American Heritage Dictionary 4

cu·ri·os·i·ty

noun pl. curiosities cu·ri·os·i·ties

A desire to know or learn.
A desire to know about people or things that do not concern one; nosiness.
An object that arouses interest, as by being novel or extraordinary: kept the carved bone and displayed it as a curiosity.
A strange or odd aspect.
Archaic Fastidiousness.

Origin: Middle English curiosite, from Old French, from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōsus, inquisitive; see curious .

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