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Glite Dictionary
characteristic curve

characteristic curve

1 7.2
A graph that shows how one device property changes as another thing changes, like voltage or temperature
  • noun
  • /ˌkɛrɪktəˈrɪstɪk kɜrv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : curva característica
  • By analyzing the characteristic curve, we can determine how the device responds under different operating conditions.
  • receiver operating characteristic curve
  • operating characteristic curve
  • characteristic curve analysis

Examples

  • What surprised me was that the "characteristic curves" had very different shapes for the two cameras.

    Blog text (14)

  • The characteristic curve defines the relationship between printed stroke width and required exposure power.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Calculate system characteristic curves and predict system operating points automatically.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Figure 3 shows that the test characteristic curve peaks at or just below average ability, though it spans the entire ability spectrum.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Note changes in the characteristic curve shape and in the gamma (far right) slider position.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The sensors in the two cameras don't have differently shaped characteristic curves—they are pretty linear devices.

    Blog text (14)

  • The characteristic curve illustrates how the device's efficiency changes with varying input levels.

  • Engineers use the characteristic curve to understand how temperature affects the performance of electronic components.

Synonyms

profile
vscharacteristic curve
  • Specialized
246 4.6

A set of information that shows the main features of someone or something

is a single-property versus variable plot, not a multi-characteristic summary
curve
vscharacteristic curve
209 2.3

A smooth, rounded shape or line that often shows change

is the specific device property versus variable graph rather than any line
characteristic function
vscharacteristic curve
  • Specialized
8.5

A graph that shows how a device's output changes when input voltage changes

is the same graph idea but named differently

Surface Forms

characteristic curve singular
characteristic curves plural

Morphology

characteristic + curve

The sense 'a graph showing how a particular property changes' is directly built from 'characteristic' (a property/parameter) + 'curve' (a plotted line), so the overall meaning is compositionally predictable. This noun‑noun compound follows a common pattern (a curve that represents a characteristic), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the MWE’s meaning even if the specific technical context may require subject knowledge.

Etymology

Characteristic curve comes from the simple picture of a bent line on a graph: characteristic means a device's typical 'behavior' and the curve is the line that shows how one value changes with another. So a characteristic curve is the graph engineers use to see a device's particular 'behavior' as things like voltage or temperature change.