curious

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.

adj

1. Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying.
   Young children are naturally curious about the world and everything in it.
   I was ſo curious likewiſe as to goe to the place, where it is ſaid the great tower of Babel was built, being about halfe a days iourney diſtant; where I ſawe nothing but a high mountaine of earth in the midſt of a plaine where in digging you may finde certaine bricks, whereof it is ſaide the tower is built. 1615, [Henri de Feynes, Comte de Monfart], translated by [Jean Loiseau de Tourval], An Exact and Cvriovs Survey of All the East Indies, euen to Canton, the Chiefe Cittie of China: All Duly Performed by Land, by Monsieur de Monfart, the Like whereof was Neuer hetherto, Brought to an End. […] Newly Translated out of the Trauailers Manuscript, London: Printed by Thomas Dawson, for VVilliam Arondell,[…], →OCLC, pages 7–8
   Jack Bradshaw, the leader of the Owl Patrol of the Redscar Scouts, strode to the dry stone wall bounding the cliff path, and drew from between the stones a ball of crumpled paper. He was curious as to why it had been placed there—where it could not have lodged accidentally—and he smoothed it out. He found it to be pencilled over with figures, like a scrap that had been used to reckon on. 1915 January, W. Jay, “The Answering Owl. A Tale of an East Coast Spy.”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XXXVIII, part I, London: “Boy’s Own Paper” Office,[…], →OCLC, chapter II, page 17, column 1
   George is a little monkey, / and all monkeys are curious. / But no monkey / is as curious as George. / That is why his name is / Curious George. 1958, Margret Rey, Curious George Flies a Kite, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, page 3
   I know that not everyone feels like they are naturally curious—or bold enough to ask about someone's shoes. But here's the secret: that doesn't matter. You can use curiosity even if you don't think of yourself as instinctively curious. 2015, Brian Grazer, Charles Fishman, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, page 58
2. Caused by curiosity.
3. Leading one to ask questions about; somewhat odd, out of the ordinary, or unusual.
   The platypus is a curious creature, with fur like a mammal and a beak like a bird.
   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"
   Abundance of Samphire, and a curious bulboſe Plant, creſted with little Flowers ſtriped with white and Cinnamon colour. 1693, [John Ray], “Some Plants Observ’d by Sir George Wheeler in His Voyage to Greece and Asia Minor”, in A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages.[…], tome II, [London: Printed for S[amuel] Smith and B[enjamin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society,[…]], →OCLC, page 30
   "But the curiousest thing a'most as I ever see at sea," resumed the mate, with an air of abstraction, and filling himself another glass of grog—"a'most the curiousest thing I ever see was when I was a coming home from Quebec in the old Jane— …" 1851, [William Henry Gregory], chapter II, in A Transport Voyage to the Mauritius and back;[…], London: John Murray,[…], →OCLC, page 90, column 1
   What was the curiousest thing he had seen? Well! He didn't know. He couldn't momently name what was the curiousest thing he had seen—unless it was a Unicorn—and he see him once at a Fair. 1855 Christmas, Charles Dickens, “The Boots”, in Charles Dickens, editor, The Holly-tree Inn. Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, volume XII, New York, N.Y.: Dix & Edwards, publishers,[…], published 1856, →OCLC, page 18, column 2
   There are many curious varieties of cirrus, some common and some rare. They have strange movements, at times shooting out long streamers in a direction quite different from that of the drift of the cloud itself across the sky. 5 March 1921, D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, “Clouds”, in Peter Anderson Graham, editor, Country Life, volume XLIX, number 1261, London: George Newnes[…], →OCLC, page 277, column 1
4. (LGBT) Clipping of bi-curious.
   It's not what I'm used to / Just wanna try you on / I'm curious for you / Caught my attention 28 April 2008, Katy Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Cathy Dennis, “I Kissed a Girl”, in One of the Boys, performed by Katy Perry
5. (obsolete) Careful, fastidious, particular; (specifically) demanding a high standard of excellence, difficult to satisfy.
   … For he that is curious of his time, will not eaſily be unready and unfurniſhed. 1650, Jeremy Taylor, “Considerations of the General Instruments and Means Serving to a Holy Life, by Way of Introduction”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living:[…], London: Printed [by R. Norton] for Richard Royston[…], →OCLC; 19th edition, London: Printed by J. Heptinstall, for John Meredith, in trust for Royston and Elizabeth Meredith; […], 1703, →OCLC, section I (The First General Instrument of Holy Living. Care of Our Time.), page 13
   A pious woman [i.e., Catherine of Aragon] … little curious in her clothes, being wont to say, she accounted no time lost, but what was laid out in dressing of her; … 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain: From the Birth of Jesus Christ, untill the Year M. DC. XLVIII., London: Printed for Iohn Williams[…], →OCLC, page 206; republished volume II, London: Printed [by James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son,[…], 1837, →OCLC, book V, section IV (To Master Henry Barnard, Late of London, Merchant), subsection 19 (The Death and Character of Queen Catherine Dowager), page 65
   [T]he Water was very thick, and naſty; … however it ſerv'd our Purpoſe, for at that Time we were not very curious. 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during His Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar:[…], revised and corrected edition, London: Printed and sold by R. Meadow,[…]; T[homas] Astley,[…]; and B. Milles,[…], →OCLC, pages 31–32
6. (obsolete) Carefully or artfully constructed; made with great elegance or skill.

Etymology 2

curi(um) + -ous

adj

1. (chemistry, rare) Containing or pertaining to trivalent curium.