Quick Definition
περίεργος, ον Adj a busybody, curious, magical
Strong's Definition
from 4012 and 2041; working all around, i.e. officious (meddlesome, neuter plural magic)
KJV Usage: busybody, curious arts
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
περίεργος, -ov, (περί and ἔργον; see περί, IIT. 2), busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters, esp. busy about other folks’ affairs, a busybody: 1 Tim. v.13 (often so in prof. auth. fr. Xen. mem. 1, 3, 1; περ. καὶ πολυπράγμων, Epict. diss. 3, 1,21); of things: τὰ περίεργα, impertinent and superfluous, of magic [A. V. curious] arts, Acts xix. 19 (so περίεργος practising magic, Aristaen. epp. 2, 18, 2 [ef. Plut. Alex. 2,5]); ef. Kypke, Observv. and Kuinoel, Com. ad loc.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
περίεργος periergos 2x
over careful; officious, a busybody, 1 Tim. 5:13; in NT περίεργα, magic arts, sorcery, Acts 19:19*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
* περίεργος, -ον, of persons; over careful.
curious, meddling, a busybody: I Ti 5:13.
Of things; over-wrought.
superfluous.
curious, uncanny; τὰ π., curious arts, magic: Ac 19:19 (v. Deiss., BS, 3235.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
περίεργος. The idea of ‘curious, magical arts,” which τὰ περίεργα has in Ac 1915, is well illustrated in P Leid Vxii-19 (ili/iv A.D.) (=IL. p. 39) διὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν περιεργίαν τὰς βοτάνας kal τὰ ἄλλα, ols ἐχρῶντο εἰς θεῶν εἴδωλα, ἐπέγραψαν, ὅπως μὴ συλί-- λλ)αβούμενοι περιεργάζωνται μηδέν, διὰ τὴν ἐξακολούθησιν τῆς apaprel(— (jas, “‘ob vulgi curiositatem herbas εἰ reliqua, quibus_utebantur ad deorum simulacra, scriptis consignarunt, ut non intellecturi (reliqui homines) operarentur frustra propter investigationem erroris ” (Ed.): see also the note on p. 73f., and Deissmann BS p. 223 n.°. Cf. the conjunction of words in Vett. Val. p. γ φρόνιμοι, περίεργοι, ἀποκρύφων μύσται. For the meaning *‘ busybody,” as in 1 Tim 533, cf. Menandrea pp. 1135, 48°°, and Menander Fragm. p. 227, also Theophr. Char. x. (ed. Jebb). In the letter of a steward or bailiff, P Oxy IX. 122072 (iii/A.D.), the word is used in a more general sense—ovSév ἠφάνισεν ὁ ἱπποποτάμις, ἤ τι γάρ ἐστιν περιέργου, ἐφίσταμε (=at) αὐτῶν, ““1π6 hippopotamus has destroyed nothing, for if there is any superfluity, I watch over the place”’ (Ed.). >
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
περίεργος (periergos) — meddlesome/magic. περίεργος, ον, taking needless trouble, [Refs 5th c.BC+]. adverb -γως [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. officious, meddlesome, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. εἰμι I am a busy-body, [Refs]; περίεργα βλέπειν look curiously at, with accusative, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
3. of an inquiring mind, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; inquisitive, curious, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; π. παιδία [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; τὸ π. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]. adverb -γως, ἔχειν [Refs 2nd c.AD+] H.: comparative -ότερον, ἔχειν πρός τινα [Refs 4th c.AD+]
II. passive, overwrought, elaborate, ὀδμή (perfume) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ τῆς κόμης π. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; especially of language or style, ὀνόματα, λόγοι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: comparative, - οτέρα λέξις [Refs]. adverb -γως[Refs 2nd c.AD+]: comparative -ότερον, ἠσκημένος τὴν κόμην [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.2. superfluous, π. καὶ μακρὰ λέγειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅπως εἴ τις π. ἀφαιρεθῇ (i.e. δαπάνη) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; futile, useless, πόλεμος [Refs 5th c.BC+]. adverb -γως[Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. curious, superstitious, ἱερουργίαι [Refs 1st c.AD+]; τὰ π. curious arts, magic, [NT]