CURIOSITY

curio, curiosity, oddity, oddment, peculiarity, rarity

(noun) something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

curiosity, wonder

(noun) a state in which you want to learn more about something

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

curiosity (countable and uncountable, plural curiosities)

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

Synonym: inquisitiveness

Antonym: ignorance

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

(obsolete) Careful, delicate construction; fine workmanship, delicacy of building. [16th-19th c.]

Source: Wiktionary

Cu`ri*os"i*ty (k`r-s"-t), n.; pl. Curiosities (-t. Etym: [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioseté, curiosité, F. curiosit, fr. L. curiositas, fr. curiosus. See Currious, 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition