October 04, 2009
- curious (adjective)
- \KYUR-ee-us\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : eager to learn2 : inquisitive3 : attracting attention by being strange or unusual : odd
- How do you use it?
- Josie was curious about who had lived in her house when it was built 200 years ago, so she started reading about the history of her town.
- Are you a word wiz?
If you are reading this it probably means that you are curious about words. See if your curiosity can help you figure out which of the following words is a relative of "curious."
Answer B is an accurate choice. English speakers adopted "curious" from the French word "curios," but that French term developed from the much older Latin word "curiosus," which can mean "careful" or "inquisitive." We can trace "curiosus" back to another Latin word, "cura," which means "care." "Accurate" comes from the Latin "accurare" meaning "to take care of" and which also traces to the Latin "cura." Some other members of the "cura" family include "cure," "scour," and "secure."
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