character
NOUN:
of morals, ethics, qualities, achievements and integrity:
1. moral or ethical quality; moral force; integrity; moral excellence and firmness:
a person of fine, honorable character; a man of sound character.
2. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity:
It takes character to face up to a bully.
3. a summary or account of a person's qualities and achievements; testimonial:
my last employer gave me a good character.
4. one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual:
This is a side of her character that few people have seen.
7. the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation:
the character of the American people.
of reputation, position and status:
1. reputation:
a stain on one's character; the scandal has damaged his character and image.
2. good repute.
3. reputation, esp a good reputation.
(as modifier):
character assassination.
4. status or capacity:
the character of a justice of the peace.
5. capacity, position, or status:
he spoke in the character of a friend rather than a father.
of literature, vice and virtue:
1. (especially in 17th- and 18th-century England) a formal character sketch or descriptive analysis of a particular human virtue or vice as represented in a person or type.
Compare character sketch.
2. a short prose sketch of a distinctive type of person, usually representing a vice or virtue.
3. a short literary sketch of the qualities of a social type.
of features and an aggregate, account, or combination:
1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.
3. the aggregate of distinctive qualities characteristic of a breed, strain, or type:
a wine of great character.
4. the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing.
5. one such distinguishing quality; characteristic.
6. an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.
7. Medicine. a distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.
of being notable, noticeable or featured:
1. a person marked by notable or conspicuous traits:
quite a character.
2. Informal. an odd, eccentric, or unusual person:
he's quite a character.
3. a word for person:
a shady character.
4. an outstanding person:
one of the great characters of the century.
5. person or individual, especially with reference to behavior or personality:
a suspicious character.
6. a person in a literary work:
Ebenezer Scrooge is a character in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
of symbols, writing and printing:
1. a symbol as used in a writing system, as a letter of the alphabet.
2. the symbols of a writing system collectively.
3. a significant visual mark or symbol.
4. a graphic symbol (such as a hieroglyph or alphabet letter) used in writing or printing.
5. a symbol (such as a letter or number) that represents information:
mathematical characters.
6. Also called "sort," any single letter, numeral, punctuation mark, or symbol cast as a type.
7. a style of writing or printing.
of drama, theatre, and personality:
1. one of the persons of a drama or novel.
2. the personality or part which an actor recreates:
an actress who can create a character convincingly.
3. characterization especially in drama or fiction:
a novelist good in both character and setting.
4. a person represented in a drama, story, play, film, etc; role.
5. a part or role, as in a play or film.
6. (of a part or role) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc.
7. (of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles.
8. capable of portraying an unusual or eccentric personality often markedly different from the player:
a character actor.
9. requiring or involving the portrayal of an unusual or eccentric personality:
a character role.
in psychoanalysis:
an individual's personality or temperament.
in Roman Catholic theology:
the ineffaceable imprint received on the soul through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and ordination.
other:
1. a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories—also, a group or kind so separated:
advertising of a very primitive character.
2. main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish:
excess sewage gradually changed the character of the lake.
3. alphabet.
4. writing, printing.
5. style of writing or printing:
You know the character to be your brother's? —Shakespeare.
6. position, capacity:
his character as a town official.
7. cipher.
8. a magical or astrological emblem.
9. reference (a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person).
10. a conventionalized graphic device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin, or relationship.
11. a written statement from an employer concerning the qualities of a former employee.
of computers:
1. any symbol, as a number, letter, punctuation mark, etc., that represents data and that, when encoded, is usable by a machine.
2. one of a set of basic symbols that singly or in a series of two or more represents data and, when encoded, is usable in a computer.
3. a symbol, such as a letter, number, or punctuation mark, that occupies one byte of memory. See more at ASCII.
4. any letter, numeral, etc, which is a unit of information and can be represented uniquely by a binary pattern.
5. a symbol (such as a letter or number) that represents information:
mathematical characters.
6. a representation of which may be accepted by a computer.
in genetics:
1. a structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or group of genes.
2. any trait, function, structure, or substance of an organism resulting from the effect of one or more genes as modified by the environment.
3. a structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or a group of genes.
4. any structure, function, attribute, etc, in an organism, which may or may not be determined by a gene or group of genes.
5. the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes.
formerly:
a cipher or cipher message.
Origin:
1275–1325; <Latin <Greek charaktḗr graving tool, its mark, equivalent to charak- (base of charáttein to engrave) + -tēr agent suffix; replacing Middle English caractere<Middle French <Latin, as above. Dictionary 2: C14: from Latin: distinguishing mark, from Greek kharaktēr engraver's tool, from kharassein to engrave, stamp. —Dictionary.com * //
First Known Use of character: Noun: 14th century. Adjective: 1841. Verb: 1555. History and Etymology for character: Noun, Adjective, and Verb: Middle English caracter, from Latin character mark, distinctive quality, from Greek charaktēr, from charassein to scratch, engrave; perhaps akin to Lithuanian žerti to scratch. —Merriam-Webster *
of morals, ethics, qualities, achievements and integrity:
1. moral or ethical quality; moral force; integrity; moral excellence and firmness:
a person of fine, honorable character; a man of sound character.
2. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity:
It takes character to face up to a bully.
3. a summary or account of a person's qualities and achievements; testimonial:
my last employer gave me a good character.
4. one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual:
This is a side of her character that few people have seen.
7. the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation:
the character of the American people.
of reputation, position and status:
1. reputation:
a stain on one's character; the scandal has damaged his character and image.
2. good repute.
3. reputation, esp a good reputation.
(as modifier):
character assassination.
4. status or capacity:
the character of a justice of the peace.
5. capacity, position, or status:
he spoke in the character of a friend rather than a father.
of literature, vice and virtue:
1. (especially in 17th- and 18th-century England) a formal character sketch or descriptive analysis of a particular human virtue or vice as represented in a person or type.
Compare character sketch.
2. a short prose sketch of a distinctive type of person, usually representing a vice or virtue.
3. a short literary sketch of the qualities of a social type.
of features and an aggregate, account, or combination:
1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.
3. the aggregate of distinctive qualities characteristic of a breed, strain, or type:
a wine of great character.
4. the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing.
5. one such distinguishing quality; characteristic.
6. an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.
7. Medicine. a distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.
of being notable, noticeable or featured:
1. a person marked by notable or conspicuous traits:
quite a character.
2. Informal. an odd, eccentric, or unusual person:
he's quite a character.
3. a word for person:
a shady character.
4. an outstanding person:
one of the great characters of the century.
5. person or individual, especially with reference to behavior or personality:
a suspicious character.
6. a person in a literary work:
Ebenezer Scrooge is a character in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
of symbols, writing and printing:
1. a symbol as used in a writing system, as a letter of the alphabet.
2. the symbols of a writing system collectively.
3. a significant visual mark or symbol.
4. a graphic symbol (such as a hieroglyph or alphabet letter) used in writing or printing.
5. a symbol (such as a letter or number) that represents information:
mathematical characters.
6. Also called "sort," any single letter, numeral, punctuation mark, or symbol cast as a type.
7. a style of writing or printing.
of drama, theatre, and personality:
1. one of the persons of a drama or novel.
2. the personality or part which an actor recreates:
an actress who can create a character convincingly.
3. characterization especially in drama or fiction:
a novelist good in both character and setting.
4. a person represented in a drama, story, play, film, etc; role.
5. a part or role, as in a play or film.
6. (of a part or role) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc.
7. (of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles.
8. capable of portraying an unusual or eccentric personality often markedly different from the player:
a character actor.
9. requiring or involving the portrayal of an unusual or eccentric personality:
a character role.
in psychoanalysis:
an individual's personality or temperament.
in Roman Catholic theology:
the ineffaceable imprint received on the soul through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and ordination.
other:
1. a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories—also, a group or kind so separated:
advertising of a very primitive character.
2. main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish:
excess sewage gradually changed the character of the lake.
3. alphabet.
4. writing, printing.
5. style of writing or printing:
You know the character to be your brother's? —Shakespeare.
6. position, capacity:
his character as a town official.
7. cipher.
8. a magical or astrological emblem.
9. reference (a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person).
10. a conventionalized graphic device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin, or relationship.
11. a written statement from an employer concerning the qualities of a former employee.
of computers:
1. any symbol, as a number, letter, punctuation mark, etc., that represents data and that, when encoded, is usable by a machine.
2. one of a set of basic symbols that singly or in a series of two or more represents data and, when encoded, is usable in a computer.
3. a symbol, such as a letter, number, or punctuation mark, that occupies one byte of memory. See more at ASCII.
4. any letter, numeral, etc, which is a unit of information and can be represented uniquely by a binary pattern.
5. a symbol (such as a letter or number) that represents information:
mathematical characters.
6. a representation of which may be accepted by a computer.
in genetics:
1. a structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or group of genes.
2. any trait, function, structure, or substance of an organism resulting from the effect of one or more genes as modified by the environment.
3. a structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or a group of genes.
4. any structure, function, attribute, etc, in an organism, which may or may not be determined by a gene or group of genes.
5. the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes.
formerly:
a cipher or cipher message.
Origin:
1275–1325; <Latin <Greek charaktḗr graving tool, its mark, equivalent to charak- (base of charáttein to engrave) + -tēr agent suffix; replacing Middle English caractere<Middle French <Latin, as above. Dictionary 2: C14: from Latin: distinguishing mark, from Greek kharaktēr engraver's tool, from kharassein to engrave, stamp. —Dictionary.com * //
First Known Use of character: Noun: 14th century. Adjective: 1841. Verb: 1555. History and Etymology for character: Noun, Adjective, and Verb: Middle English caracter, from Latin character mark, distinctive quality, from Greek charaktēr, from charassein to scratch, engrave; perhaps akin to Lithuanian žerti to scratch. —Merriam-Webster *