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3 definitions found
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary : [ easton ]
Curious arts
(Acts 19:19), magical arts; jugglery practised by the Ephesian
conjurers. Ephesus was noted for its wizard and the "Ephesian
spells;" i.e., charms or scraps of parchment written over with
certain formula, which were worn as a safeguard against all
manner of evils. The more important and powerful of these charms
were written out in books which circulated among the exorcists,
and were sold at a great price.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Curious \Cu"ri*ous\ (k?"r?-?s), a. [OF. curios, curius, F.
curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See
Cure.]
1. Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct;
careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Little curious in her clothes. --Fuller.
[1913 Webster]
How shall we,
If he be curious, work upon his faith? --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
2. Exhibiting care or nicety; artfully constructed;
elaborate; wrought with elegance or skill.
[1913 Webster]
To devise curious works. --Ex. xxxv. 32
[1913 Webster]
His body couched in a curious bed. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. Careful or anxious to learn; eager for knowledge; given to
research or inquiry; habitually inquisitive; prying; --
sometimes with after or of.
[1913 Webster]
It is a pity a gentleman so very curious after
things that were elegant and beautiful should not
have been as curious as to their origin, their uses,
and their natural history. --Woodward.
[1913 Webster]
4. Exciting attention or inquiry; awakening surprise;
inviting and rewarding inquisitiveness; not simple or
plain; strange; rare. ``Acurious tale'' --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
A multitude of curious analogies. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
Many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.
--E. A. Poe.
[1913 Webster]
Abstruse investigations in recondite branches of
learning or sciense often bring to light curious
results. --C. J. Smith.
[1913 Webster]
Curious arts, magic. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Many . . . which used curious arts brought their
books together, and burned them. --Acts xix.
19.
Syn: Inquisitive; prying. See Inquisitive.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Curious \Cu"ri*ous\ (k?"r?-?s), a. [OF. curios, curius, F.
curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See
Cure.]
1. Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct;
careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [Obs.]
Little curious in her clothes. --Fuller.
How shall we, If he be curious, work upon his faith?
--Beau. & Fl.
2. Exhibiting care or nicety; artfully constructed;
elaborate; wrought with elegance or skill.
To devise curious works. --Ex. xxxv. 32
His body couched in a curious bed. --Shak.
3. Careful or anxious to learn; eager for knowledge; given to
research or inquiry; habitually inquisitive; prying; --
sometimes with after or of.
It is a pity a gentleman so very curious after
things that were elegant and beautiful should not
have been as curious as to their origin, their uses,
and their natural history. --Woodward.
4. Exciting attention or inquiry; awakening surprise;
inviting and rewarding inquisitiveness; not simple or
plain; strange; rare. ``Acurious tale'' --Shak.
A multitude of curious analogies. --Macaulay.
Many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.
--E. A. Poe.
Abstruse investigations in recondite branches of
learning or sciense often bring to light curious
results. --C. J. Smith.
Curious arts, magic. [Obs.]
Many . . . which used curious arts brought their
books together, and burned them. --Acts xix.
19.
Syn: Inquisitive; prying. See Inquisitive.
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