different between rarity vs curiosity

English

Etymology

rare +? -ity, borrowed from Middle French rarité, from Latin r?rit?s; compare French rareté. See also rare.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????.??.t?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /????.?.ti/

Noun

rarity (plural rarities)

1. A measure of the scarcity of an object.
2. (chemistry, of a gas) Thinness; the property of having low density
4. A rare object.

Synonyms

• (measure of the scarcity): rareness; see also Thesaurus:rareness
• (having low density): subtlety
• (rare object): hen's tooth; see also Thesaurus:rarity

Related terms

• rare
• rarely

Translations

References

• rarity at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

From Middle English curiosite, variant of curiouste, from Anglo-Norman curiouseté, from Latin c?ri?sit?tem, from c?ri?sus. Surface analysis curious +? -ity; see -osity.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kyoo?r"??s'?t?, IPA^(key): /?kj??????s?ti/

Noun

curiosity (countable and uncountable, plural curiosities)

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

   Synonym: inquisitiveness

   Antonym: ignorance

   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

     It was the first time that the lawyer had been received in that part of his friend's quarters; and he eyed the dingy, windowless structure with curiosity, and gazed round with a distasteful sense of strangeness as he crossed the theatre
2. A unique or extraordinary object which arouses interest. [from 17th c.]

3. (obsolete) Careful, delicate construction; fine workmanship, delicacy of building. [16th-19th c.]
   • 1631, John Smith, Advertisements, in Kupperman 1988, p. 81:

     wee built a homely thing like a barne, set upon Cratchets, covered with rafts, sedge, and earth, so also was the walls; the best of our houses of the like curiosity, but the most part farre much worse workmanship […]

Derived terms

• curiosity killed the cat

Related terms

• curious

Translations

References