The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

characteristic
    adj 1: 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 attribute or aspect of something; "the map
         showed roads and other features"; "generosity is one of his
         best characteristics" [syn: feature, characteristic]
    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: characteristic, device
       characteristic]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

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