curiosity
n. C / Un. a strong desire to know or learn about something. It is the feeling that makes you ask questions or explore new places.
n. a strong desire to know or learn something; an inquisitive interest in others' affairs or in the mechanics of the world.
Her curiosity led her to open the old wooden box.
The children's natural curiosity about the forest animals made the science field trip a huge success.
Intellectual curiosity is often cited as the primary driver of scientific progress, as it compels researchers to investigate phenomena that others might simply take for granted.
From Middle English curiosite, variant of curiouste, from Anglo-Norman curiouseté, from Latin cūriōsitātem, accusative of cūriōsitās. By surface analysis, curious + -ity. Displaced native Old English firwitt.
Uncountable when referring to the abstract desire to learn; countable when referring to an unusual or interesting object.