fingerprint
an impression of the markings of the inner surface of the last joint of the thumb or other finger.
such an impression made with ink for purposes of identification.
any unique or distinctive pattern that presents unambiguous evidence of a specific person, substance, disease, etc.
to take or record the fingerprints of.
Origin of fingerprint
1Words Nearby fingerprint
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fingerprint in a sentence
Red pigment marks shaped like human fingerprints dot the inside of the shell, near its wide opening where someone trimmed the edge.
Humans made a horn out of a conch shell about 18,000 years ago | Bruce Bower | February 10, 2021 | Science NewsIf we look closely at the images produced by telescopes, we see the fingerprints of quantum mechanics.
A curious observer’s guide to quantum mechanics, pt. 4: Looking at the stars | Ars Staff | January 31, 2021 | Ars TechnicaSmudges left by their fingerprints may not be your only touch screen issue.
Best 2 in 1 laptops: Work hard, play hard with these versatile picks | PopSci Commerce Team | January 27, 2021 | Popular-ScienceAlthough the four Afghans had names that were similar to those of known Taliban fighters who had left DNA or fingerprints on bombs used to attack Americans, they weren’t same men or they weren’t Taliban, according to the Army.
An unusual mission in Afghanistan, and the troops who suffered to carry it out | Greg Jaffe | January 15, 2021 | Washington PostCitizens were asked to collect evidence, take photographs and process fingerprints.
Maryland police officer dies after being struck by car | Dan Morse | January 14, 2021 | Washington Post
Five days later authorities were able to match a fingerprint at the post office to Wilson sending him to an early retirement.
In the end he was left with a disappointing product that bore little of his creative fingerprint.
When they subsequently managed to fingerprint her, she seemed to have outdone Dillinger.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger | Michael Daly | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the Social Security people required an FBI fingerprint check.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger | Michael Daly | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs with the fingerprint scanner of the iPhone 5s, the larger screen means that the phone will cost more.
iWatch, iPhone 6, and More: What Apple Has Up Its Sleeve | Kyle Chayka | September 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLuckily, we've got a way to tell if you've got it right: beneath the key will be a much shorter number, called the 'fingerprint'.
Little Brother | Cory DoctorowOn it, in huge white luminous letters, were her public key and her fingerprint and email address.
Little Brother | Cory DoctorowSome inks are more soluble in the solution used for fingerprint tests than others?
Warren Commission (7 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy“They all forget something,” said Fosdick, as Drew hurried out through the door with a bow toward the staring fingerprint man.
Whispering Wires | Henry LeverageMatching of trace impurities is often called a “fingerprint” method.
The Atomic Fingerprint | Bernard Keisch
British Dictionary definitions for fingerprint
/ (ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnt) /
an impression of the pattern of ridges on the palmar surface of the end joint of each finger and thumb
any identifying characteristic
biochem the pattern of fragments obtained when a protein is digested by a proteolytic enzyme, usually observed following two-dimensional separation by chromatography and electrophoresis
(tr) to take an inked impression of the fingerprints of (a person)
to take a sample of (a person's) DNA
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
Cultural definitions for fingerprint
The impression or mark left by the underside of the tips of the fingers or thumbs. The impression is formed by a pattern of ridges on the skin surface. This pattern is unique for each individual and therefore can serve as a means of identification. (Compare DNA fingerprinting.)
Notes for fingerprint
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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