thumbprint

American  

[thuhm-print] / ˈθʌmˌprɪnt /

noun

1. a mark or impression of the ventral surface of the last joint of the thumb.

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thumbprint British  

/ ˈθʌmˌprɪnt /

noun

1. an impression of the upper part of the thumb, used esp for identification purposes See fingerprint

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Etymology

Origin of thumbprint

First recorded in 1895–1900; thumb + print

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thumbprint

These versions are also much larger: while an O’Ryan’s potato is about the size of a thumbprint, See’s can stretch up to three inches long.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026

In Hammani’s retelling, he relented after four days, applying his thumbprint to a written confession, which he wasn’t allowed to read.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025

If this is your era, put a thumbprint on it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025

Mr Trump spent a lot of time speaking directly to the New York audience about his thumbprint on the city - the place where he built much of his fortune and fame.

From BBC ● May 23, 2024

Up close it was a strange, crude-looking thing, its head a stump of rounded clay, its face a smeared thumbprint.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

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