What does "bertillonage" mean?
An early form of biometric identification used on criminals by the French police, making use of distinguishing anthropometric measurements, such as head size, arm span and scars.
Bertillonage
/bɛːtijɒˈnɑːʒ/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An early form of biometric identification used on criminals by the French police, making use of distinguishing anthropometric measurements, such as head size, arm span and scars.
- Grammar: bertillonage is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bertillon.
- Usage evidence: Often these [clothing] labels are of more use than the so-called bertillonage, those eleven items of physical measurement and characteristics that must be recorded to make a positive identification but that are useless for anything else and find themselves at the bottom of desk drawers or in unused databases.
How to use "bertillonage"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bertillonage" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
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Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bertillonage" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bertillonage" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 An early form of biometric identification used on criminals by the French police, making use of distinguishing anthropometric measurements, such as head size, arm span and scars. historical, uncountable
- 2 A similar form of identification of used on racing greyhounds. broadly, uncountable
"Often these [clothing] labels are of more use than the so-called bertillonage, those eleven items of physical measurement and characteristics that must be recorded to make a positive identification but that are useless for anything else and find themselves at the bottom of desk drawers or in unused databases."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Often these [clothing] labels are of more use than the so-called bertillonage, those eleven items of physical measurement and characteristics that must be recorded to make a positive identification but that are useless for anything else and find themselves at the bottom of desk drawers or in unused databases."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bertillonage"?
Common synonyms include: bertillon.
How do you use "bertillonage" in a sentence?
Often these [clothing] labels are of more use than the so-called bertillonage, those eleven items of physical measurement and characteristics that must be recorded to make a positive identification but that are useless for anything else and find themselves at the bottom of desk drawers or in unused databases.
How do you pronounce "bertillonage"?
Pronounced /bɛːtijɒˈnɑːʒ/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from French bertillonnage; from the name of the inventor, Alphonse Bertillon.