A features is simply a distinguishing feature that something possesses. Real-life examples include: Elaborately painted tail feathers of peacocks, which are known feature. Earth has many features that make life very difficult, like the presence of water, temperature, and even air that makes it capable of sustaining life. The traits of different features will become apparent to the keen eyes of man who is willing to do some investigation. So let’s begin with characteristics.
In science, characteristics are used to describe similarities and differences of living things. Most animal classification systems have characteristics that are used to classify animals and plants, although sometimes they are used to place animals or plants in a group that has similar characteristics and where those animals share certain characteristics. In etymology, a characteristic is usually described as the distinguishing mark of a word, sometimes both the word and its etymology are same, like the characteristic of “dog”.
The characteristics of a word can also be used to describe a descriptive comparative feature of a word. For example, the characteristic of “dog” would be a descriptive characteristic referring to a set of specific characteristics that uniquely define a species, in this case dogs. Other examples of this kind of comparative characteristic are “size”, which is used to compare a small animal to another smaller animal of the same size. This characteristic refers to the distinctive features that distinguish dogs from other kinds of animals.
A characteristic of a word refers not only to a characteristic of an object, but also to a descriptive meaning of that object. In the example given earlier, the characteristic of “dog” is a descriptive feature referring to a set of specific characteristics. These characteristics are all special attractions to humans, making them stand out and become easily noticeable. When I say “special attraction”, I am referring to how a dog makes us feel a special connection with it. This emotional connection is what makes a dog’s appearance or behavior stand out.
While it’s possible to list all of the most unique and delightful characteristics of dogs on a postage stamp, they would all fall under the category of descriptive characteristics. So, while there would be a “dog” stamp listing the distinguishing feature of a certain dog, the word “dog” would not describe any of those characteristics. It would be easy to find the word “dog” on a postage stamp, but hard to find the specific characteristics that make a dog a “dog.” While the “dog” stamp might represent the most noticeable and delightful characteristics of one particular breed of dog, that breed itself wouldn’t be described by the term “dog” in the way that “dog” is defined in our dictionaries.
Most textbooks will attempt to provide an accurate description of the most typical or common features of all dogs. These are usually referred to as descriptive features or common character features. While they give an accurate description of a characteristic, they don’t provide a definition. When the meaning of a word is uncertain, it’s necessary to rely on tools that provide precise definitions. Using these tools, it should be simple to determine whether a dog possesses a special attraction or not.