cu·ri·os·i·ty   (kyŏŏr'ē-ŏs'ĭ-tē)    n.   pl. 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. [Middle English curiosite, from Old French, from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōsus, inquisitive; see curious.]

Curiosity

Cu`ri*os"i*ty\ (k[=u]`r[i^]*[o^]s"[i^]*t[y^]), n.; pl. Curiosities (-t[i^]z). [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioset['e], curiosit['e], F. curiosit['e], 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.