Inquisitive

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, n.
     A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research. --Sir
     W. Temple.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, a. [OE. inquisitif, F.
     inquisitif.]
     1. Disposed to ask questions, especially in matters which do
        not concern the inquirer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A wise man is not inquisitive about things
              impertinent.                          --Broome.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Given to examination, investigation, or research;
        searching; curious.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A young, inquisitive, and sprightly genius. --I.
                                                    Watts.
  
     Syn: Inquiring; prying; curious; meddling; intrusive.
  
     Usage: {Inquisitive}, {Curious}, {Prying}. Curious denotes a
            feeling, and inquisitive a habit. We are curious when
            we desire to learn something new; we are inquisitive
            when we set ourselves to gain it by inquiry or
            research. Prying implies inquisitiveness, and is more
            commonly used in a bad sense, as indicating a desire
            to penetrate into the secrets of others.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  [We] curious are to hear,
                  What happens new.                 --Milton.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  This folio of four pages [a newspaper], happy
                  work!
                  Which not even critics criticise; that holds
                  Inquisitive attention, while I read. --Cowper.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Nor need we with a prying eye survey
                  The distant skies, to find the Milky Way.
                                                    --Creech.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  inquisitive
       adj 1: showing curiosity; "if someone saw a man climbing a light
              post they might get inquisitive"; "raised a
              speculative eyebrow" [syn: {speculative}, {questioning},
               {wondering(a)}]
       2: inquiring or appearing to inquire; "an inquiring look"; "the
          police are proverbially inquisitive"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  44 Moby Thesaurus words for "inquisitive":
     agape, agog, all agog, analytical, burning with curiosity, busy,
     busybody, consumed with curiosity, curious, exploring, forward,
     ghoulish, gossipy, impertinent, inquiring, inquisitorial,
     interested, intrusive, investigative, itchy, meddlesome, meddling,
     morbid, morbidly curious, nosy, officious, open-eyed, openmouthed,
     overcurious, presumptuous, probing, prurient, prying, pushing,
     pushy, questioning, quizzical, scopophiliac, searching,
     self-appointed, snooping, snoopy, supercurious, voyeuristic