curio

cu·rio | \ ˈkyu̇r-ē-ˌō

How to pronounce curio (audio)

, ˈkyər- \

plural curios

Definition of curio

: something (such as a decorative object) considered novel, rare, or bizarre : curiosity also : an unusual or bizarre person

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about curio

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Examples of curio in a Sentence

She loves to browse the shops in small towns, looking for curios. be careful of the fragile curios on the end tables

Recent Examples on the Web All that white bobbing up and down in the water makes any species of duck curios. — Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, "How to Hunt Late-Season Mallards In Fields vs. Water," 6 Jan. 2020 Emigdio Manuel García, 89, who owns a restaurant and curios shop in Matamoros about a block from the bridge, expressed exasperation over the disruption caused by the closure. — Miriam Jordan, New York Times, "Asylum Protesters Close Bridge on Texas-Mexico Border," 10 Oct. 2019 Similar scenes are unfolding throughout the old empire, as a small army of developers and entrepreneurs use cheap electricity and abandoned buildings—the curios of their Soviet past—to get rich quick on cryptocurrencies. — Wired, "The Shady Cryptocurrency Boom on the Post-Soviet Frontier," 29 Oct. 2019 The Mauritianum collection in Altenburg, for example, was bankrolled by wealthy professionals from the town — doctors, lawyers, bankers — who sought to buy up curios unique to the area. — Adrian Daub, Longreads, "All Hail the Rat King," 13 Dec. 2019 The idea of decisive victory predicated on success in battle is simply a historical curio that, one interlude aside, has seldom had much relevance to the material realities of war. Long live victory! — Cian O'driscoll, Quartz, "The myth of victory in modern warfare," 2 Dec. 2019 After what feels like an interminable wait, the battery EV may soon finally cross over from curio to the big time as a slew of new models arrive in 2020. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Watch out, Tesla—Ford gets serious with Mustang Mach-E electric crossover," 18 Nov. 2019 Across the square, the 14th-century Cloth Hall now hosts a market selling Polish crafts and curios. — Malavika Bhattacharya, National Geographic, "Why is everyone going to Krakow?," 23 July 2019 Against one wall, a 9-foot curio cabinet holds Susan’s assortment of German nutcrackers. — Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, "Christmas is here! Step inside this decked out farmhouse on Crestwood's Holiday Home Tour," 14 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about curio

Dictionary Entries near curio

Curie-Weiss law

Statistics for curio

Last Updated

16 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Curio.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curio. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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