curio
/ˈkjʊəriəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkjʊriəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkyu̇r-ē-ˌō ˈkyər-/ (ame, mw)
curio — noun
- curiosingular
- curiosplural
1. a small, unusual item — often old or from a faraway place — that people enjoy lo
a small, unusual item — often old or from a faraway place — that people enjoy looking at or like to collect.
Manuela kept a tiny jade frog on her desk as a curio from her grandmother.
countable noun: a curio from [origin]
The antique shop on the corner sold old coins, painted fans, and other curios.
plural use: curios as items in a collection
Dylan bought a wooden mask in Lisbon as a curio to remember the trip.
Visitors loved the glass cabinet full of curios at the small village museum.
On the dusty top shelf, Iris found an ivory chess piece and several other curios.
- knick-knack
more informal; usually decorative trinkets with less emphasis on rarity
- trinket
small ornament, often cheap; lacks the rarity nuance of curio
- novelty
any unusual item; broader and less tied to collecting
- collectible
modern, marketed item designed to be collected; curio is more incidental
用法筆記
Object is typically small, portable, and valued for novelty or origin rather than practical use. Often appears in the plural (curios) when describing a collection or shop stock.