characteristic characteristic /ˌkɛrɪktɝˈɪstɪk/

adjective

1. () Typical or distinctive  ( characteristic )
   typical or distinctive
    Heard my friend's characteristic laugh
   heard my friend's characteristic laugh
    Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn
   red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn
    Stripes characteristic of the zebra
   stripes characteristic of the zebra
   

noun

1. () A prominent attribute or aspect of something  ( characteristic , feature )
   a prominent attribute or aspect of something
    The map showed roads and other features
   the map showed roads and other features
    Generosity is one of his best characteristics
   generosity is one of his best characteristics
   
2. () A distinguishing quality  ( characteristic )
   a distinguishing quality
     Honesty is a characteristic that is highly valued in a person.
   Honesty is a characteristic that is highly valued in a person.
   
3. (electronics) any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions  ( characteristic , device characteristic )
   (electronics) any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions
   
4. The integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2  ( characteristic )
   the integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2