characteristic vs mannerism

characteristic

noun
  • A distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

  • For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0. 

  • The integer part of a logarithm. 

  • The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.). 

adj
  • Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

mannerism

noun
  • A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual. 

  • In fine art, a style that is inspired by previous models, aiming to reproduce subjects in an expressive language. 

  • Exaggerated or affected style in art, speech, or other behavior. 

  • In literature, an ostentatious and unnatural style of the second half of the sixteenth century. In the contemporary criticism, described as a negation of the classicist equilibrium, pre-Baroque, and deforming expressiveness. 

How often have the words characteristic and mannerism occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )