the main conflict of this story is when Patrick came home from work and told Mary what happened. This is important in the story because this is why she killed him. The setting of this story is important because they live in a small town and everyone knows everyone else. Because of this the store clerk, Sam, knew Mary and could give a detailed report about what she wanted and how she acted and that would help her get away with murder. The main characters of this story are Mary and Patrick Maloney. Mary is a housewife that spends the day cooking ,cleaning and doing other jobs around the house. Patrick is a cop that serves his community everyday. We don’t know much about him because he was taken out of the story so soon. This story was written in 3rd person. The way I know this is because the author used words such as; he, she, and they. The major theme of this story is, people aren’t always as they seem. This is because she seemed like a nice, little housewife that wouldn’t hurt anyone and she went off and killed her husband. The tone of this story was a pretty gloomy tone . This story seems gloomy because it wasn’t exciting or scary, it was more of a plain, and disturbed tone. Read more in Drama « Name of the Game Bloom: The Womanly Man » The things I learned from writing this essay are important in case I have to write reports in my job later in life. One of the things I learned while I was writing this essay is what a synopsis is. A synopsis is a short introduction of what you are doing in your essay. Another thing I learned is how much I hate writing essays .
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
the main conflict of this story is when Patrick came home from work and told Mary what happened. This is important in the story because this is why she killed him.
The setting of this story is important because they live in a small town and everyone knows everyone else. Because of this the store clerk, Sam, knew Mary and could give a detailed report about what she wanted and how she acted and that would help her get away with murder.
The main characters of this story are Mary and Patrick Maloney. Mary is a housewife that spends the day cooking ,cleaning and doing other jobs around the house. Patrick is a cop that serves his community everyday. We don’t know much about him because he was taken out of the story so soon. This story was written in 3rd person. The way I know this is because the author used words such as; he, she, and they.
The major theme of this story is, people aren’t always as they seem. This is because she seemed like a nice, little housewife that wouldn’t hurt anyone and she went off and killed her husband. The tone of this story was a pretty gloomy tone. This story seems gloomy because it wasn’t exciting or scary, it was more of a plain, and disturbed tone.
Read more in Drama
« Name of the Game
Bloom: The Womanly Man »
The things I learned from writing this essay are important in case I have to write reports in my job later in life. One of the things I learned while I was writing this essay is what a synopsis is. A synopsis is a short introduction of what you are doing in your essay. Another thing I learned is how much I hate writing essays.
Lamb to the SlaughterFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
"Lamb to the Slaughter" (1953) is a short story by Roald Dahl. It is a short story in the book Skin which has a series of short stories. It was initially rejected, along with four other stories, by The New Yorker, but was ultimately published in Harper's Magazine in September 1953 [1]. The story was adapted for a memorable episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents originally broadcast on April 13, 1958, one of the 17 AHP episodes directed by Hitchcock himself and subsequently adapted for Dahl's British TV series Tales of the Unexpected.
‘‘Lamb to the Slaughter’’ demonstrates Dahl's ability to reflect aspects of human perversity, cruelty and violence in adult fiction. His presentation features a cynically detached narrator, and elements of black comedy. The horror of this story prefigures the grotesqueness seen in the author's later work for children, including James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The main character, Mary Maloney, has also been noted among one of the most complex characters in short stories, from her drastic change portrayed by Roald Dahl.
[edit]Plot summary
Mary Maloney, a pregnant young woman in 20th century England, waits for her husband Patrick to return home from his job as a detective for the local police. When he returns, Mary notices that he is strangely aloof and assumes that he was tired from work. After blatantly ignoring her, Patrick finally reveals (to Mary; the information is kept from the reader, although it is insinuated that he wants to leave her) what it is that is making him act strangely.
In shock at the news, and seemingly in a trance, Mary fetches a large leg of lamb from the deep-freeze in the cellar to cook for their dinner, apparently trying to restore a sense of normalcy. Then Patrick angrily tells Mary not to make him any dinner, as he is going out. She then strikes Patrick in the back of the head with the frozen lamb leg, killing him. After pacing the room, Mary realizes that she must hide her crime, since she is aware of the punishment she would face and she is scared for her baby and is not sure whether it would live. She prepares the leg of lamb and places it in the oven. Then, after practising a cheerful routine to show the world, she heads out to the store to buy some vegetables for her roast from the Grocer. This is so she can form an alibi for the crime. Upon returning, she enters the room with her dead husband laying on the floor and calls the police.
When the police arrive, they question Mary and survey the scene. The police, lacking any reason to be suspicious of Mary because Mr. Maloney was actually a policeman too, come to the conclusion that Mary's husband was killed with a large blunt object, likely made of metal. They then search the house and surrounding area for the murderer's weapon. After a fruitless search, the police realize that no one has turned off the oven. Mary offers all the policemen the cooked leg, which the policemen kindly accept. When the lamb is nearly finished, the police facetiously discuss the possibility of the murder weapon's location. One officer says "Its probably right under our very noses". Mary begins to giggle, knowing that the police have just eaten the evidence.
fictional character: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story); "she is the main character in the novel"
quality: a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something; "each town has a quality all its own"; "the radical character of our demands"
the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions; "education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer
an actor's portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the part of Desdemona"
a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities); "a real character"; "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case"
good repute; "he is a man of character"
a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability; "requests for character references are all too often answered evasively"
a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has 24 characters"
engrave or inscribe characters on
(genetics) an attribute (structural or functional) that is determined by a gene or group of geneswordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
In computer and machine-based telecommunications terminology, a character is a unit of information that roughly corresponds to a grapheme, grapheme-like unit, or symbol, such as in an alphabet or syllabary in the written form of a natural language.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(computing)
A character (from the Greek "engraved or stamped mark (on coins or seals), branding mark, symbol") may refer to any sign or symbol.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(symbol)
A trait is a distinct variant of a phenotypic character of an organism that may be inherited, environmentally determined or somewhere in between.Lawrence, Eleanor (2005) Henderson's Dictionary of Biology. Pearson, Prentice Hall. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(biology)
In mathematics, a character is (most commonly) a special kind of function from a group to a field (such as the complex numbers). There are at least two distinct, but overlapping
meanings. Other uses of the word "character" are almost always qualified.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(mathematics)
Character (Karakter) is a 1997 Dutch/Belgian film, based on the best-selling novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk and directed by Mike van Diem. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards. The film stars Fedja van Huêt, Jan Decleir, and Betty Schuurman.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(1997_film)
14. A symbol used in secret writing; a cipher or code.
adj.
1. Of or relating to one's character.
2.
a. Specializing in the interpretation of often minor roles that emphasize fixed personality traits or specific physical characteristics: a character actor.
b. Of or relating to the interpretation of such roles by an actor: the character part of the hero's devoted mother.
3. Dedicated to the portrayal of a person with regard to distinguishing psychological or physical features: a character sketch.
4. Law Of or relating to a person who gives testimony as to the moral and ethical reputation or behavior of one engaged in a lawsuit: a character witness.
1. the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing
2. one such distinguishing quality; characteristic
3. moral force; integrity a man of character
4.
a. reputation, esp a good reputation
b. (as modifier) character assassination
5. a summary or account of a person's qualities and achievements; testimonial my last employer gave me a good character
6. capacity, position, or status he spoke in the character of a friend rather than a father
7. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a person represented in a play, film, story, etc.; role
8. an outstanding person one of the great characters of the century
9. Informal an odd, eccentric, or unusual person he's quite a character
10. an informal word for person a shady character
11. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a symbol used in a writing system, such as a letter of the alphabet
12. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) Also called sort Printing any single letter, numeral, punctuation mark, or symbol cast as a type
13. (Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science) Computing any letter, numeral, etc., which is a unit of information and can be represented uniquely by a binary pattern
14. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a style of writing or printing
15. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Genetics) Genetics any structure, function, attribute, etc., in an organism, which may or may not be determined by a gene or group of genes
16. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a short prose sketch of a distinctive type of person, usually representing a vice or virtue
in (or out of) character typical (or not typical) of the apparent character of a person or thing
vb (tr)
1. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) to write, print, inscribe, or engrave
2. Rare to portray or represent
[from Latin: distinguishing mark, from Greek kharaktēr engraver's tool, from kharassein to engrave, stamp]
As the sun is best seen at its rising and setting, so men’s native dispositions are clearest seen when they are children and when they are dying —Robert Boyle
A character is like an acrostic … read it forward, backward, or across, it still spells the same thing —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Character is like a tree, and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing —Abraham Lincoln
Character is like white paper; if once blotted, it can hardly ever be made to appear white as before —Joel Hawes
A character, like a kettle, once mended always wants mending —Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Character, like porcelain ware, must be painted before it is glazed. There can be no change after it is burned in —Henry Ward Beecher
A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds. And when the weeds begin to grow, it’s like a garden full of snow —Nursery rhyme
This dates back to the eighteenth century.
The reputation of a man is like his shadow, gigantic when it precedes him, and pigmy in its proportions when it follows —Alexandre de Talleyrand
Some people, like modern shops, hang everything in their windows and when one goes inside nothing is to be found —Berthold Auerbach
The soundness of his nature was like the pure paste under a fine glaze —Edith Wharton
A vein of iron buried inside her moral frame, like a metal armature inside a clay statue —Carlos Baker
Your moral character must be not only pure, but, like Caesar’s wife, unsuspected —Lord Chesterfield
Noun 1. character - an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story); "she is the main character in the novel"
fictional character, fictitious character
imaginary being, imaginary creature - a creature of the imagination; a person that exists only in legends or myths or fiction
2. character - a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something; "each town has a quality all its own"; "the radical character of our demands"
lineament, quality
attribute, dimension, property - a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished; "self-confidence is not an endearing property"
texture - the essential quality of something; "the texture of Neapolitan life"
3. character - the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions; "education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer
fibre, fiber
trait - a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
personality - the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual; "their different reactions reflected their very different personalities"; "it is his nature to help others"
spirit - a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character
thoughtfulness - the trait of thinking carefully before acting
responsibleness, responsibility - a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; "he holds a position of great responsibility"
integrity - moral soundness; "he expects to find in us the common honesty and integrity of men of business"; "they admired his scrupulous professional integrity"
4. character - an actor's portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the part of Desdemona"
persona, theatrical role, role, part
personation, portrayal, characterization, enactment - acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture
bit part, minor role - a small role
heavy - a serious (or tragic) role in a play
hero - the principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem
ingenue - the role of an innocent artless young woman in a play
name part, title role - the role of the character after whom the play is named
heroine - the main good female character in a work of fiction
baddie, villain - the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction
5. character - a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities); "a real character"; "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case"
eccentric, type, case
adult, grownup - a fully developed person from maturity onward
6. character - good repute; "he is a man of character"
reputation, repute - the state of being held in high esteem and honor
7. character - a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability; "requests for character references are all too often answered evasively"
character reference, reference
good word, recommendation, testimonial - something that recommends (or expresses commendation of) a person or thing as worthy or desirable
8. character - a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has 24 characters"
grapheme, graphic symbol
printed symbol, written symbol - a written or printed symbol
allograph - a variant form of a grapheme, as `m' or `M' or a handwritten version of that grapheme
check character - a character that is added to the end of a block of transmitted data and used to check the accuracy of the transmission
superscript, superior - a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character
subscript, inferior - a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character
ASCII character - any member of the standard code for representing characters by binary numbers
ligature - character consisting of two or more letters combined into one
capital letter, majuscule, upper-case letter, uppercase, capital - one of the large alphabetic characters used as the first letter in writing or printing proper names and sometimes for emphasis; "printers once kept the type for capitals and for small letters in separate cases; capitals were kept in the upper half of the type case and so became known as upper-case letters"
lower-case letter, lowercase, minuscule, small letter - the characters that were once kept in bottom half of a compositor's type case
type - printed characters; "small type is hard to read"
percent sign, percentage sign - a sign (`%') used to indicate that the number preceding it should be understood as a proportion multiplied by 100
asterisk, star - a star-shaped character * used in printing
dagger, obelisk - a character used in printing to indicate a cross reference or footnote
diesis, double dagger, double obelisk - a character used in printing to indicate a cross reference or footnote
alphabetic character, letter of the alphabet, letter - the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech; "his grandmother taught him his letters"
blank, space - a blank character used to separate successive words in writing or printing; "he said the space is the most important character in the alphabet"
phonetic symbol - a written character used in phonetic transcription of represent a particular speech sound
mathematical symbol - a character that is used to indicates a mathematical relation or operation
rune, runic letter - any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages; "each rune had its own magical significance"
pictograph - a graphic character used in picture writing
ideogram, ideograph - a graphic character that indicates the meaning of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it; "Chinese characters are ideograms"
radical - a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
stenograph - a shorthand character
9. character - (genetics) an attribute (structural or functional) that is determined by a gene or group of genes
attribute - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
unit character - (genetics) a character inherited on an all-or-none basis and dependent on the presence of a single gene
genetic science, genetics - the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
Verb 1. character - engrave or inscribe characters on
engrave, inscribe, grave, scratch - carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface; "engrave a pen"; "engraved the trophy cupt with the winner's"; "the lovers scratched their names into the bark of the tree"
1. personality, nature, make-up, cast, constitution, bent, attributes, temper, temperament, complexion, disposition, individuality, marked traits There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.
2. nature, kind, quality, constitution, calibre Moscow's reforms were socialist in character.
3. (Informal) person, sort, individual, type, guy (informal), fellow What an unpleasant character he is!
4. reputation, honour, integrity, good name, rectitude, uprightness He's begun a series of attacks on my character.
5. courage, resolution, determination, guts (informal), pluck, grit, bravery, backbone, fortitude, staying power, strength of mind, dauntlessness She showed real character in her refusal to give up.
6. role, part, persona He plays the film's central character.
7. eccentric, card (informal), original, nut (slang), flake (slang, chiefly U.S.), oddity, oddball (informal), odd bod (informal), queer fish (Brit. informal), wacko orwhacko (informal) He'll be sadly missed. He was a real character.
8. symbol, mark, sign, letter, figure, type, device, logo, emblem, rune, cipher, hieroglyph Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque
Quotations"Genius is formed in quiet, character in the stream of human life" [Goethe Torquato Tasso]"Character is much easier kept than recovered" [Thomas Paine The American Crisis]"A man's character is his fate" [Heraclitus On the Universe]"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing" [Abraham Lincoln]"Fate and character are the same concept" [Novalis Heinrich von Ofterdingen]
1 the set of qualities that make someone or something different from others; type You can tell a man's character from his handwriting; Publicity of this character is not good for the firm.
2 a set of qualities that are considered admirable in some way He showed great character in dealing with the danger.
3 reputation They tried to damage his character.
4 a person in a play, novel etc Rosencrantz is a minor character in Shakespeare's `Hamlet'.
5 an odd or amusing person This fellow's quite a character!
6 a letter used in typing etc Some characters on this typewriter are broken.
adj characterˈistic
(negativeuncharacteristic) typical (of a person etc) He spoke with characteristic shyness; That kind of behaviour is characteristic of him.
n
a typical quality It is one of his characteristics to be obstinate.
adv characteˈristically
v characterize, ˈcharacterise
1 to be the obvious feature of The giraffe is characterized by its long neck.
2 to describe (as) She characterized him as weak and indecisive.
Definition: Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people;as, an inscription in the Runic character.
Definition: The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; thestamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition.
Character 4
Definition: Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as, he has a great deal of character.
Character 5
Definition: Moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as, a man of character; his character saveshim from suspicion.
Character 6
Definition: Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty; as, in themiserable character of a slave; in his character as a magistrate; her character as a daughter.
Character 7
Definition: A written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant.
Character 8
Definition: A unique or extraordinary individuality; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits; a person whoillustrates certain phases of character; as, Randolph was a character; Caesar is a great historical character.
Character 9
Definition: One of the persons of a drama or novel.
Character 10
Definition: To engrave; to inscribe.
Character 11
Definition: To distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize.
character 12
Definition: the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions;"education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer
character 13
Definition: a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something; "each town has aquality all its own"; "the radical character of our demands"
character 14
Definition: an actor''s portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the part of Desdemona"
character 15
Definition: a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person''s qualifications and dependability; "requests for character references are all to often answered evasively"
character 16
Definition: a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has characters"
character 17
Definition: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story); "she is the main character in the novel"
character 18
Definition: a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities); "a real character"; "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case"
character 19
Definition: good repute; "he is a man of character"
character 20
Definition: engrave or inscribe characters on
http://ardictionary.com/Character/4078
haracter
A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol.
Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as, an
inscription in the Runic character.
The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the
stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are,
while your reputation is merely what others think you are. John Wooden
Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. John Wooden
A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun
therefore be your constant companion of your walks. Thomas Jefferson
Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. Albert Einstein
Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character. Albert Einstein
One strength of the communist system of the East is that it has some of the character of a religion and inspires
the emotions of a religion. Albert Einstein
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.Abraham Lincoln
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence. Abraham Lincoln
The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerance. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors,
and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance. Maya Angelou
the aggregate of features and traits that form the individualnature of some person or thing.
2.
one such feature or trait; characteristic.
3.
moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.
4.
qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takescharacter to face up to a bully.
5.
reputation: a stain on one's character.
6.
good repute.
7.
an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person orthing.
8.
a person, esp. with reference to behavior or personality: asuspicious character.
9.
Informal . an odd, eccentric, or unusual person.
10.
a person represented in a drama, story, etc.
11.
a part or role, as in a play or film.
12.
a symbol as used in a writing system, as a letter of thealphabet.
13.
the symbols of a writing system collectively.
14.
a significant visual mark or symbol.
15.
status or capacity: the character of a justice of the peace.
16.
a written statement from an employer concerning thequalities of a former employee.
17.
Literature . (esp. in 17th- and 18th-century England) aformal character sketch or descriptive analysis of a particularhuman virtue or vice as represented in a person or type.Compare character sketch.
18.
Genetics . any trait, function, structure, or substance of anorganism resulting from the effect of one or more genes asmodified by the environment.
19.
Computers .
a.
any symbol, as a number, letter, punctuation mark, etc.,that represents data and that, when encoded, is usableby a machine.
b.
one of a set of basic symbols that singly or in a series oftwo or more represents data and, when encoded, isusable in a computer.
20.
a style of writing or printing.
21.
Roman Catholic Theology . the ineffaceable imprint receivedon the soul through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation,and ordination.
22.
(formerly) a cipher or cipher message.
–adjective
23.
Theater .
a.
(of a part or role) representing a personality type, esp.by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language,mannerisms, physical makeup, etc.
b.
(of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in suchroles.
–verb (used with object) Archaic .
24.
to portray; describe.
25.
to engrave; inscribe.
—Idioms
26.
in character,
a.
in harmony with one's personal character or disposition:Such behavior is not in character for him.
b.
in accordance with the role or personality assumed in aperformance: an actor in character.
27.
out of character,
a.
out of harmony with one's personal character ordisposition: Her remarks were out of character.
b.
away from the role or personality assumed in aperformance: The actor stepped out of character.
Use character in a Sentence
Origin: 1275–1325; < L < Gk charaktḗr graving tool, its mark, equiv. tocharak- (base of charáttein to engrave) + -tēr agent suffix; r.ME caractere < MF < L, as above
—Related forms
char·ac·ter·less, adjective
un·char·ac·tered, adjective
—Synonyms 1. CHARACTER, INDIVIDUALITY, PERSONALITY refer to the sum of thecharacteristics possessed by a person. CHARACTER refers esp. tomoral qualities, ethical standards, principles, and the like: a man ofsterling character. INDIVIDUALITY refers to the distinctive qualitiesthat make one recognizable as a person differentiated from others:a woman of strong individuality.
PERSONALITY refers particularly tothe combination of outer and inner characteristics that determinethe impression that a person makes upon others: a child of vivid orpleasing personality. 5. name, repute. See reputation. 14. sign.
early 14c., from O.Fr. caractere , from L. character , from Gk.kharakter "engraved mark," from kharassein "to engrave," fromkharax "pointed stake." Meaning extended by metaphor to "adefining quality."
"You remember Eponina, who kept her husband alive in anunderground cavern so devotedly and heroically? The force ofcharacter she showed in keeping up his spirits would have beenused to hide a lover from her husband if they had been livingquietly in Rome. Strong characters need strong nourishment."[Stendhal, "De l'Amour" 1822]
Sense of "person in a play or novel" is first attested 1660s, inreference to the "defining qualities" he or she is given by theauthor. The Latin ch- spelling was restored 1500s.
Pronunciation: /ˈkar-ik-tər/ Function: n 1 : one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguishthe individual 2 : the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group ofgenes 3 : the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and oftenindividualizing a person, group, or nation
in biology, any observable feature, or trait, of an organism, whetheracquired or inherited. An acquired character is a response to theenvironment; an inherited character is produced by genestransmitted from parent to offspring (their expressions are oftenmodified by environmental conditions). One gene may affect manycharacters; one character may be controlled by many genes. Acharacter controlled by only a few genes is known as an oligogenic,discontinuous, or qualitative character; a character controlled bymany genes is termed polygenic, continuous, or quantitative. Agenetically controlled character may be termed dominant when itscontrolling genes are powerful enough to mask the effect of othergenes (alleles) that control an alternative character, termedrecessive
Learn more about character with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Cite This Source
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