Characteristic

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Index \In"dex\, n.; pl. E. {Indexes}, L. {Indices}(?). [L.: cf.
     F. index. See {Indicate}, {Diction}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. That which points out; that which shows, indicates,
        manifests, or discloses; as, the increasing unemployment
        rate is an index of how much the economy has slowed.


        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              Tastes are the indexes of the different qualities of
              plants.                               --Arbuthnot.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. That which guides, points out, informs, or directs; a
        pointer or a hand that directs to anything, as the hand of
        a watch, a movable finger or other form of pointer on a
        gauge, scale, or other graduated instrument. In
        (printing), a sign [[hand]] (called also {fist}) used to
        direct particular attention to a note or paragraph.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A table for facilitating reference to topics, names, and
        the like, in a book, usually giving the page on which a
        particular word or topic may be found; -- usually
        alphabetical in arrangement, and printed at the end of the
        volume. Typically found only in non-fiction books.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     4. A prologue indicating what follows. [Obs.] --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Anat.) The second finger, that next to the pollex
        (thumb), in the manus, or hand; the forefinger; {index
        finger}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. (Math.) The figure or letter which shows the power or root
        of a quantity; the exponent. [In this sense the plural is
        always {indices}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     7. The ratio, or formula expressing the ratio, of one
        dimension of a thing to another dimension; as, the
        vertical index of the cranium.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     8. A number providing a measure of some quantity derived by a
        formula, usually a form of averaging, from multiple
        quantities; -- used mostly in economics; as, the index of
        leading indicators; the index of industrial production;
        the consumer price index. See, for example, the {consumer
        price index}.
        [PJC]
  
     9. (computers) A file containing a table with the addresses
        of data items, arranged for rapid and convenient search
        for the addresses.
        [PJC]
  
     10. (computers) A number which serves as a label for a data
         item and also represents the address of a data item
         within a table or array.
         [PJC]
  
     11. (R. C. Ch.), The {Index prohibitorius}, a catalogue of
         books which are forbidden by the church to be read; also
         called {Index of forbidden books} and {Index Librorum
         Prohibitorum}.
         [PJC]
  
     {Index error}, the error in the reading of a mathematical
        instrument arising from the zero of the index not being in
        complete adjustment with that of the limb, or with its
        theoretically perfect position in the instrument; a
        correction to be applied to the instrument readings equal
        to the error of the zero adjustment.
  
     {Index expurgatorius}. [L.] See {Index prohibitorius}
        (below).
  
     {Index finger}. See {Index}, 5.
  
     {Index glass}, the mirror on the index of a quadrant,
        sextant, etc.
  
     {Index hand}, the pointer or hand of a clock, watch, or other
        registering machine; a hand that points to something.
  
     {Index of a logarithm} (Math.), the integral part of the
        logarithm, and always one less than the number of integral
        figures in the given number. It is also called the
        {characteristic}.
  
     {Index of refraction}, or {Refractive index} (Opt.), the
        number which expresses the ratio of the sine of the angle
        of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction. Thus
        the index of refraction for sulphur is 2, because, when
        light passes out of air into sulphur, the sine of the
        angle of incidence is double the sine of the angle of
        refraction.
  
     {Index plate}, a graduated circular plate, or one with
        circular rows of holes differently spaced; used in
        machines for graduating circles, cutting gear teeth, etc.
        
  
     {Index prohibitorius} [L.], or {Prohibitory index} (R. C.
        Ch.), a catalogue of books which are forbidden by the
        church to be read; the index expurgatorius [L.], or
        expurgatory index, is a catalogue of books from which
        passages marked as against faith or morals must be removed
        before Catholics can read them. These catalogues are
        published with additions, from time to time, by the
        Congregation of the Index, composed of cardinals,
        theologians, etc., under the sanction of the pope. --Hook.
  
     {Index rerum} [L.], a tabulated and alphabetized notebook,
        for systematic preservation of items, quotations, etc.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Characteristic \Char`ac*ter*is"tic\, a. [Gr. ?: cf. F.
     charact['e]ristique.]
     Pertaining to, or serving to constitute, the character;
     showing the character, or distinctive qualities or traits, of
     a person or thing; peculiar; distinctive.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Characteristic clearness of temper.      --Macaulay.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Characteristic \Char`ac*ter*is"tic\, n.
     1. A distinguishing trait, quality, or property; an element
        of character; that which characterized. --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The characteristics of a true critic. --Johnson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Math.) The integral part (whether positive or negative)
        of a logarithm.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  characteristic
       adj : typical or distinctive; "heard my friend's characteristic
             laugh"; "red and gold are the characteristic colors of
             autumn"; "stripes characteristic of the zebra" [ant: {uncharacteristic}]
       n 1: a prominent aspect of something; "the map showed roads and
            other features"; "generosity is one of his best
            characteristics" [syn: {feature}]
       2: a distinguishing quality
       3: the integer part (positive or negative) of the
          representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 =
          2.808 the characteristic is 2
       4: any measurable property of a device measured under closely
          specified conditions [syn: {device characteristic}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  194 Moby Thesaurus words for "characteristic":
     affection, affective, appropriate, aroma, attribute, automatism,
     bad habit, badge, banner, birthmark, body-build, brand, cachet,
     cast, categorical, character, characteristics, characterizing,
     classificational, classificatory, compare, complexion, composition,
     configuration, constituents, constitution, constitutional,
     contrastive, crasis, creature of habit, custom, cut, defining,
     denominative, device, dharma, diacritical, diagnostic, diathesis,
     differencing, differentia, differential, differentiative,
     discriminating, discriminative, disposition, dispositional,
     distinctive, distinctive feature, distinguished, distinguishing,
     divisional, divisionary, earmark, emblematic, emotional, especial,
     ethos, exemplary, feature, fiber, figure, flavor, force of habit,
     frame, genius, grain, gust, habit, habit pattern, habitude,
     hallmark, hue, humor, humors, idiocrasy, idiocratic, idiosyncrasy,
     idiosyncratic, ilk, image, impress, impression, in character,
     index, indicant, indicator, individual, individualism,
     individualizing, individuating, innate, insignia, intellectual,
     intrinsic, keynote, kind, lineaments, makeup, mannerism, mark,
     marked, marking, measure, mental, mold, natural, naturalistic,
     nature, normal, note, odor, ordinal, particular, particularity,
     pattern, peculiar, peculiarity, personalizing, physique, picture,
     point, practice, praxis, proper, property, quality, quintessential,
     quirk, realistic, regular, representation, representative, sample,
     savor, seal, second nature, separative, shape, sigil, sign, signal,
     signature, single, singular, singularity, smack, somatotype, sort,
     special, specialty, specific, spirit, spiritual, stamp, stereotype,
     stereotyped behavior, streak, stripe, subdivisional, suchness,
     sure sign, symbolic, symptom, symptomatic, system, taint, tang,
     taste, taxonomic, telltale sign, temper, temperament,
     temperamental, tendency, tenor, token, tone, trait, trick,
     true to form, true to type, typal, type, typic, typical, unique,
     usage, use, usual, vein, virtue, way, wont