Bertillon system
[ bur-tl-on sis-tuhm ]
/ ˈbɜr tlˌɒn ˌsɪs təm /
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.
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Also called Ber·til·lon meth·od [bur-tl-on meth-uhd] /ˈbɜr tlˌɒn ˌmɛθ əd/ .
See also Bertillonage.
Origin of Bertillon system
First recorded in 1895–1900; named after A. Bertillon
Words nearby Bertillon system
Bertie, Bertiella, bertiellosis, Bertillon, Bertillonage, Bertillon system, Bertolucci, Bertram, Bertrand, bertrandite, Berw.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
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
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