Inquisitive

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

Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, n.
   A person who is inquisitive; one curious in research. --Sir
   W. Temple.
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Inquisitive \In*quis"i*tive\, a. [OE. inquisitif, F.
   inquisitif.]
   1. Disposed to ask questions, especially in matters which do
      not concern the inquirer.
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            A wise man is not inquisitive about things
            impertinent.                          --Broome.
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   2. Given to examination, investigation, or research;
      searching; curious.
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            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.
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                [We] curious are to hear,
                What happens new.                 --Milton.
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                This folio of four pages [a newspaper], happy
                work!
                Which not even critics criticise; that holds
                Inquisitive attention, while I read. --Cowper.
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                Nor need we with a prying eye survey
                The distant skies, to find the Milky Way.
                                                  --Creech.
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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