characteristic 
928 
charcoal-pencil 
generalization of that given by Ohaslen in 1864. charactery (kar'ak-ter-i), H. [< character + -//.] charbon (sliiir'bon), w. [F., lit. n coal: see 
(c) Any number related in a remarkable way to 
a figure : a use of the term not allowed by care- 
ful writers, (rf) A number referring to a higher 
singularity of an algebraical curve or surface, 
and expressing how many simple singularities 
of a given kind it replaces, (e) The rational 
integral function (in its lowest terms) whose 
vanishing expresses the satisfaction of the con- 
dition of which it is the characteristic. 3. In 
l>hitvl. See ekaTaoterietic letter or sound, above. 
Characteristic of a cubic, i" ."!., the invariable 
anharmonic ratio of the four tangents which can lie drawn 
t 11 plane cubic from anyone of its own points. Char- 
acteristic of a dynamo or magneto-electric ma- 
1. That which constitutes or indicates charac- 
ter; that in anything which indicates its quali- 
ties; a character or characteristic. 
carbon.'] 1. A little black spot or mark re- 
maining after the large spot in the cavity of 
the corner-tooth of a horse is gone. 2. In 
jiathol., anthrax; malignant pustule. See an- 
thrax. 
2. The act or art of characterizing; character- 
ization by means of words or representation. 
Faeries use flowers for their charactery. 
Slia/c., Jl. YV'. of \V.. v . f,. 
A third sort bestowed their time in drawing out the 
true lineaments of every virtue and vice, so lively that 
who saw the medals might know thejace : which art they 
__ u significantly termed charactery. 
chine, :t curve wlin.sc al>scis.sa.s measure the electromo- _-U*.J A / n v. -j/\ n^ j 
live force or ditlerence of potential, and whose ordiiiiites cnaratte (Sha-rad ), II. [t . ; a mod. word of 
measure the intensity of the current. A shunt dynamo ""'">"" T * ~~ ' 1 " '- 
has two characteristics, the external and internal. Ex- 
ternal characteristic of a shunt dynamo, a curve 
whose abscissas represent the ilillerences of potential be- 
tween the terminals, and the ordinates the intensity of the 
current, in the external circuit. Internal characteris- 
tic Of a Shunt dynamo, the characteristic for the shunt 
circuit. =Syn. 1. Character, Attribute, etc. See quality. 
Characteristical (kar''ak-te-ris'ti-kal), a. Same 
as characteristic. [Rare.]" 
Here is a shell; 'tis pearly blank to me, 
Nor marked with any sign or charactery. Keats. 
His labors upon charbon (splenic fever or malignant 
pustule) had been suggested by my studies. 
Pasteur (trans.), Pop. Sci. Mo., XX. 801. 
Charbon de garance, a substance obtained from mad- 
der by heating it with strong sulphuric acid, converting it 
into a black mass, which on being heated yields a subli- 
mate of orange crystals of alizarin. 
charbunclet, . An obsolete form of carhiniclf. 
Dp. Hall, Characters', charcoal (chiir'kol), n. [Early mod. E. cliarcnlc. 
also charke-cole (see below), < ME. chare,,!,-. 
charkole, probably a contraction of *ckark- 
cole, < charken, mod. E. cliarkl, creak, crack 
(el/ark 1 being ult. a var. of crack 1 ), + cole, coal 
(like MD. krick-koul, later krik-kool, pi. krick- 
kolen, charcoal, <kricken,='E. crick, creak, + kool 
= E. coal), the verb being used attributively, in 
qualification of the noun, with ref. to the creak- 
ing or clinking of the coals in their friction 
unknown origin.] An enigma whose solution is 
a word of two or more syllables, each of which 
is separately significant in sound, and which, 
as well as the whole word, must be discovered 
from a dialogue or description in which it is 
used, or from dramatic representation. 
Charades and riddles as at Christmas. 
Tennyson, Prol. to Princess. 
.. L -j against one another (cf. clinker, a cinder, named 
But the general beauty of them all is, that they [Sir cnaraarian i-n), a. bame as elm- for a like reason ; cf. also E. dial, chark, cherk, a 
Philip Sidney's sonnets] are so perfectly characteristical. raanne. . i , , , , 
JMIIIO, Ella, p. 380. 
characteristically (kar'ak-te-ris'ti-kal-i), adv. 
In a characteristic manner ; in a manner that 
expresses the character ; distinctively. 
Each of us looks at the world in his own way, and does 
radrine. 
[NL., < 
prtecocial 
pressirostral grallatorial birds, of the order Li- 
not know that perhaps it is characteristically his own. 
J. H. Newman, Gram, of Assent, p. 361. 
Characteristicalness(kar' / ak-te-ris'ti-kal-ne8), 
n. [< characteristical + -ness.'] The state or 
quality of being characteristic. 
characterization (kar"ak-ter-i-za'shon). n. r< Charadriiformes (ka-rad"ri-i-f6r'mez), n. i>l. 
[NL., < Charadrius + L. forma, form.] In Gar- 
rod's arrangement, one of four orders of homa- 
logonatous birds, including the pigeons, plo- 
Charadriidse (kar-a-dri'i-de), n. pi. 
Charudriim + -iila-.'] A family of 
pressirostral grallatorial birds, of the 
* . j - 11 1'. l. "~?i~~ *ut*ij".c 0(0 l/w* /v I lit/we- ICttilV IUUU. j. UflU/fCK- 
mwolai; a group of small hmicolme wading ^, as above), but without recognition of the 
birds, or shore-birds, comprising the plovers - ..,'.)-., 
cinder, a piece of charcoal, prob. due to the com- 
pound), or to their cracking or crackling in the 
fire: see chark 1 and coal. Hence, from charcoal 
analyzed as chark + coal (early mod. E. charJce- 
and certain plover-like forms, related within 
family limits to the genus Charadrius. It is a 
large and important cosmopolitan group of nearly 100 spe- 
cies. Its limits are, however, unsettled, several genera 
being sometimes made types of distinct families. Also 
Charadriadtv. 
characterise + -ation.] The act of character- 
izing ; representation or description of salient 
qualities or characteristics, as by an actor, 
painter, writer, or speaker. Also spelled char- 
acterisation. 
"Society" in this representative town of the Pacific 
Coast is somewhat difficult of characterization. 
S. Bou-leii, in Merriam, II. 7. 
characterize (kar'ak-ter-Iz), v. t.; pret. and 
pp. characterized, 
caracteriaer 
terizzare = D. karakteriseren = G. karakterisire/i 
= Dan. karakterisere = Sw. karakterisera, < ML. 
orig. sense of chark (cliarki), the new verb chark 2 
and the noun chark 2 (which cannot be derived 
directly from chark 1 ); or, from charcoal ana- 
lyzed as char + coal, the new verb char 2 and 
the noun char 2 equiv. to chark 2 , and now the 
usual form : see chark 2 , char 2 . In Skeat's view 
the cliar- of charcoal is a particular use of ME. 
charren, turn (that is, from wood to coal) ; cf. 
"Then Nestor broil'd them on the cole-turn' d 
wood" (Chapman, Odyssey, iii. 623); "But 
terized, ppr. characterizing. [= F '"'*' an( ' longer than the toes, wl 
SD Pff caracteri-ar Tt rnrnt wel) bing; the tibia; naked below 
_ op. rg. caraoiet i,ar _ it. carat- ..*. nn(i ,,. ,_=, _ hnpf <.,,..,, 
vers, cranes, gulls, etc. They are distinguished though the whole world turn to coal " (G. Her- 
bv the schizorhinal structure of the nasal bones, hert, Vertue); but the ME. charren, mod. E. 
Cnaradriinse (ka-rad-ri-!'ne), n. pi. [NL., < char* and its cognates, mean ' turn ' only in ref 
Charadriua + -m.] The typical subfamily of to a change of direction (and hence to action) 
the family Charadriida;, including the true plo- 
vers. Normally they have hut 3 toes ; the tarsi reticu- 
late, and longer than the toes, which usually have basal 
w ebbing ; the tibise naked below ; the wings long and 
acute ; and the tail short ; generally even, and composed 
4 - - - jnj, 
and do not appear ever to have been used 
with ref. to a change of form or substance. 
See cfcar 1 .] 1. Coal made by subjecting wood 
to a process of smothered combustion; more 
charactcrizare, < Gr. x a P aKT 1P'^i>', designate bv of a Pte eon - Tne group contains several genera and per- 
a characteristic mark, < X apaKri>p. a mark, char"- i""' s 8 !S ecie8 ' f a11 P arts of the world - 
acter: see character.'] 1. To impart a special cnaradrine, cnaradrune (ka-rad'rin, -ri-in), a. 
stamp or character to ; constitute a character- ' amins to the Charadriina; : resembling a 
istic or the characteristics of; stamp or distin- 
guish; mark; denote. 
A spirit of philosophy and toleration . . . now seems to Charadrioid (ka-rad n-oid), a. and n. 
characterize the age. Goldsmith, The Bee, No. 2. : 
of 1-2 feathers. The bill is typically pressirostral, is not generally, the carbonaceous residue of vegeta- 
longer than the head, and is shaped somewhat like that ble, animal, or combustible mineral substances 
2. To describe the character or give an ac- 
count of the qualities of; describe by distin- 
guishing qualities. 
plover; pluvialine. 
raid, charadrioid. 
[< Cha- 
_ _ Resembling or having 
the characters of the Charadrii'lce. Also cha- 
radroid. 
II. n. A bird of the family Charadriida;. 
-'-- 
charadriomorph (ka-rad'ri-6-morf), n. One 
qne_of that species of women whom you have charar- of tne Charadnomornhw. 
spectator, No. 401. 
he intended to charac- 
Johnson, Life of Rowe. 
terize King William. 
St. To engrave, stamp, or imprint. [Rare.] 
Sentiments characterized and engraven hi the soul 
Sir M. Hale, Orig. of Mankind. 
Also spelled characterise. 
= Syn. 2. To mark, designate. 
characterized (kar'ak-ter-lzd), p. a. [Pp. of 
characterize, t'.] Stamped with a specific char- 
acter or constitution; having characteristic or 
typical qualities. 
which have been subjected to smothered com- 
bustion. Wood-charcoal is used as fuel and in the manu- 
facture of gunpowder, and, from its power of absorbing 
gases, as a disinfectant and also as a filter. The different 
kinds of charcoal are employed for many purposes in the 
arts. See carbon and coal. 
A cheyer by-fore the chemne ther charcole brenned 
Watz graythed for syr Oawan. 
Sir Qawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), 1. 875. 
She burned no lesse through the cinders of too kinde 
affection than the logge duoth with the help of charke- 
coalte. TM-tmth (1593, New Shak. Soc.), p. 80. 
2. A pencil of charcoal, used by artists Animal 
charcoal. Same as bone-black. Coal-gas charcoal. 
Same as ijas-carbon (which see, under carbon). Fossil <>r 
mineral charcoal. See mother-of~coal, under coal. 
Molded charcoal, an artificial fuel made of charcoal- 
refuse and coal-tar, molded into cylinders, dried, and car- 
bonized. 
wiriomorp)i 
" , . ,', . pi. 
form.] A group of birds including the plovers 
and snipes; the limicoline waders or Limicoltv; 
a superfamily of schizognathous carinate birds, charcoal-black (chiir'kol-blak'), n. A black 
nearly equivalent to the pressirostral and Ion- pigment prepared from vine-twigs, almond- 
girostral grallatorial pnecocial birds. They have shells, and peach-stones. 
an elongated and comparatively slender rostrum ; promi- charcoal-burner Cchiir'kol bpr'nprl \ man 
nent basipterygoid processes ; lamellar concavoconvex ~ ;:., * , ; ar f KO ' r e V/' "' f man 
maxillopalatines ; the angle of the mandible recurved ; the >P lo }e , m the manufacture of charcoal. 
charcoal-drawing (char'k61-dra"iug), H. 1. 
A picture or drawing executed with crayons of 
hallux small or absent ; and the crus bare above the suf- 
frago. The group includes the Charadriidtt, Scolnpacidcr. 
and related families. 
The coast presents a coarse red sandstone, which con- charadrioinorphic (ka-rad^ri -o-mor 'fik), a 
tmues well characterized as far as Cape Saumarez. [< Charadriomorphai + -ic.~\ Plover-like ; cha- 
A,, sec. ormn. Exp., I. 46. radrine; p i uv i a line; specifically, having the 
Characterless (kar ak-ter-les), a. [< character characters of the Charadriomornha;. 
t--fevs.] 1. Lacking a definite or positive char- Charadrius (ka-rad'ri-us), n. [NL., a mod. 
acter: coimnmilt rn.pp! nmnrprpstintr- r*joV .,.., .1 ;...,,:.., ~a ^ i 7- ^ ^ - 
charcoal.- 2. The art of producing drawings 
with charcoal. 
This art of charcoal-dratoinsf, which now occupies a very 
high position in the opinion of artists as an independent 
means of expression, is a most curious example of what 
may lie called promotion amongst the graphic arts. 
Hamerton, Graphic Arts, p. 157. 
acter; commonplace; uninteresting; weak. 
it was more extensive than the family now is, but it has 
been variously restricted, and is now usually confined to 
2f. Unrecorded, as in history. 
Mighty states characterless are grated 
To dusty nothing. Shak., T. and C., iii. 2. 
characterlessness (kar'ak-ter-les-nes), n. [< charadroid (ka-rad 'roid), a. Same as cha- 
characterless + -ness.'] The state or quality of r /> flri ' ne and charadrioid. 
being without a well-marked character, or dis- charas, . Same as chumts. 
tinctive features or marks. charboclet, charbonclet, . Middle English 
character-monger (kar'ak-ter-mung"ger), . forms of carbuncle. 
air. 
One given to criticizing the actions and char- 
acters of other people ; a gossip. [Rare.] 
She was his (Johnson's] pet, his dear love, ... his lit- 
tle character-monger. Macaulay, Madame D'Arhlay. 
The tempull is atyret all with tryet clothes, 
Bassons of bright gold, & other brode vessel!, 
C'haundelers full ehefe, & charbokill stones 
And other Riches full Rife that we may rad haue 
Ilextritctifiii of Trnv (E. E. T. S.), 1. 3170. 
(char'kol-I"ern), n. A superior 
ity of iron made with the use of charcoal as 
a fuel. 
charcoal-paper (char'kol-pa/per), n. An un- 
calendered paper with a soft texture and a 
tooth, used in charcoal-drawing. It is made 
in various tints. 
charcoal-pencil (char 'kol- pen "sil), n. A 
crayon consisting of a charred twig of willow, 
or of sawdust from willow-, lime-, or poplar- 
wood, pressed in a mold, dried in the air, and 
charred in a retort. 
