characteristic vs kink

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. 

kink

noun
  • An unreasonable notion; a crotchet; a whim; a caprice. 

  • A convulsive fit of coughing or laughter; a sonorous indraft of breath; a whoop; a gasp of breath caused by laughing, coughing, or crying. 

  • A positive 1-soliton solution to the sine-Gordon equation. 

  • A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, hair etc. 

  • A difficulty or flaw that is likely to impede operation, as in a plan or system. 

  • Peculiarity or deviation in sexual behaviour or taste. 

  • A person with peculiar sexual tastes. 

verb
  • To laugh loudly. 

  • To be formed into a kink or twist. 

  • To form a kink or twist. 

  • To gasp for breath as in a severe fit of coughing. 

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