Here's a breakdown of its defining characteristics:
* 14 lines: The sonnet always has 14 lines.
* Iambic pentameter: This refers to the rhythm of the lines, with each line consisting of five metrical feet, each foot being an iamb (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable).
* Rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme you described (abab bcbc cdcd ee) is the most common one for a Shakespearean or English sonnet.
There are other types of sonnets with different rhyme schemes, like the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet (abba abba cdecde).