cūrĭōsus, a, um, adj. [cura].
I (Acc. to cura, I.) Bestowing care or pains upon a thing, applying one's self assiduously, careful, diligent, thoughtful, devoted (class.; esp. freq. in Cic.).
A In gen.
α With in or ad : in omni historiā curiosus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 45, 108: si me nihilo minus nosti curiosum in re publicā quam te, id. Att. 5, 14, 3: ad investigandum curiosior, id. Fam. 4, 13, 5.—
β With gen. (post-Aug.): medicinae, Plin. 25, 2, 3, § 7: memoriae, Aur. Vict. Caes. 20 fin. : curiosissimus famae suae, Capitol. Anton. Philos. 20.—
γ With circa : circa uxoris pudicitiam minus curiosus fuit, Capitol. Pert. 13, 8.—
δ Absol. : non quidem doctus, sed curiosus, Petr. 46, 6; so, pictor, id. 29, 4: felicitas Horatii, id. 118, 5: manus, id. 13, 1: consilia, Quint. 7, 5, 2: interpolatione, Plin. 13, 12, 23, § 75 al. —*
2 With the access. idea of excess, too eager : est etiam supervacua (ut sic dixerim) operositas, ut a diligenti curiosus et a religione superstitio distat, Quint. 8, 3, 55.—
B In partic., inquiring eagerly or anxiously about a thing, inquiring into , in a good or bad sense; curious, inquisitive .
1 In gen.: ne curiosissimi quidem homines exquirendo audire tam multa possunt, quam, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 97; id. Fam. 3, 1, 1; Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 5; Quint. 1, 8, 21; 11, 3, 143; * Hor. Epod. 17, 77 al.: curiosis oculis perspici non possit, Cic. Sest. 9, 22.—
2 Implying censure ( = πολυπράγμων), meddlesome, officious, curious, prying, inquisitive : primum patere me esse curiosum, Cic. Fl. 29, 70; id. Fin. 2, 9, 28 Madv.; 1, 1, 3; id. Att. 15, 26, 5; cf.: quare ut homini curioso ita perscribe ad me, id. ib. 4, 11, 2: curiosum aliquem extimescere, Petr. 127: Quae (basia) nec pernumerare curiosi Possint, Cat. 7, 11 Ellis ad loc.—
b Post-Aug., subst.: cūrĭōsus , i, m., of one who is prying, a spy, scout : curiosum ac speculatorem ratus, Suet. Aug. 27.—Later, a class of secret spies, secret police, an informer , etc.; cf. Cod. Just. 12, tit. 23: De Curiosis et Stationariis al.—
II (Acc. to cura, II.) Lit., that injures himself by care; hence, transf., emaciated, wasted, lean : belua, Plaut. Aul. 3, 6, 26 (v. the passage in connection); cf.: nempe ille vivit carie curiosior, Afran. ap. Non. p. 21, 28 (Com. Rel. v. 250 Rib.).—Adv.: cūrĭŏsē .
A (Acc. to I. A.) With care, carefully : involvendus vestimentis, Cels. 2, 17; cf. Petr. 63, 6; Col. 12, 55, 2: cavere, Suet. Aug. 40 al.— Comp. , Vitr. 7, 4.— Sup. , Col. 11, 2, 18.—*
2 Too nicely, carefully , or particularly : curiose potius quam Latine loqui, Quint. 8, 1, 2.—
B (Acc. to I. B. 2.) Inquisitively, curiously : inquirerem, Suet. Vesp. 1.— Comp. : curiosius conquiram, Cic. Brut. 35, 133: facere aliquid, id. N. D. 1, 5, 10: animadvertunt ea, quae domi fiunt (pueri), id. Fin. 5, 15, 42.