mug shot
Americannoun
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Also called headshot. an identifying photograph of a suspect or criminal, often one of a set showing a frontal view, a profile view, and a view of the back of the head.
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any closeup photograph of someone's face.
noun
Etymology
Origin of mug shot
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The detective’s Facebook friends urged her to make her post public, so she did — screenshots of Salute’s court records, her mug shot and her new school photo.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
“He was arrested late in the day, so I imagine he was up the entire night, but that mug shot just looked so different from the pictures I had in high school,” Pulgarin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
The mug shot, taken in 2023, became part of US culture, adorning everything from coffee cups to T-shirts.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2025
In his mug shot, the photographer George Steinmetz doesn’t seem especially threatening.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2024
Clicking through to the article, Molly finds herself staring at her mother’s mug shot.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
