Bertillon system

[bur-tl-on sis-tuhm]

noun

1. a system of identifying persons, especially criminals, by a record of individual physical measurements and peculiarities: fingerprinting soon supplanted the Bertillon system as the primary identifying technique in forensic science.

   The suspect’s facial measurements, taken and assessed through the Bertillon system, were used to prove her guilt, even though she had a very sound alibi.

Bertillon system

/ ˈbɜːtɪˌlɒn, bɛrtijɔ̃ /

noun

1. a system formerly in use for identifying persons, esp criminals, by means of a detailed record of physical characteristics

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bertillon system¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after A. Bertillon

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bertillon system¹

C19: named after Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914), French criminal investigator