Something that captures your interest and makes you curious to learn more about it.
From French 'intriguer' meaning to deceive, derived from Italian 'intrigare.' The meaning shifted from deception to simply capturing attention and arousing curiosity by the 17th century.
The word's meaning changed completely over time—it used to mean 'to trick someone,' but now it means the opposite: something so interesting it draws you in honestly. Language shows how words evolve when people start using them differently until the old meaning disappears.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.