Bertillon system

[ bur-tl-on sis-tuhm ]

/ ˈbɜr tlˌɒn ˌsɪs təm /

Save This Word!

noun

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.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called Ber·til·lon meth·od

[bur-tl-on meth-uhd] /ˈbɜr tlˌɒn ˌmɛθ əd/ .

Origin of Bertillon system

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

Words nearby Bertillon system

berthage, Berthelot, Bertie, Bertillon, Bertillonage, Bertillon system, Bertolucci, Bertram, Bertrand, bertrandite, Berw.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Bertillon system in a sentence

There were no deaths on scheduled commercial aviation flights in 2014, in a system that operates 68,000 flights a day.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She fills her characters up—strong women beating back against a sexist system—with so much heart.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A hundred ultra-wealthy liberal and conservative donors have taken over the political system.
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Stay in formation,” a sergeant from the ceremonial unit said over a public address system to the cops along the street.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Both parties are now equal opportunity offenders when it comes to gaming the system.
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
As Spain, however, has fallen from the high place she once held, her colonial system has also gone down.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The reformers of the earlier period were not indifferent to the need for centralized organization in the banking system.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Accordingly, the question "How far does the note issue under the new system seem likely to prove an elastic one?"
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Thanks to Berthier's admirable system, Bonaparte was kept in touch with every part of his command.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for Bertillon system

Bertillon system

/ (ˈbɜːtɪˌlɒn, French bɛrtijɔ̃) /

noun

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

Word Origin for Bertillon system

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012