Fingerprint

//ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The natural pattern of ridges on the tips of human fingers, unique to each individual.
  2. 2
    a smudge made by a (dirty) finger wordnet
  3. 3
    The patterns left on surfaces where uncovered fingertips have touched, especially as used to identify the person who touched the surface.

    "Nervously, he wiped the gun of fingerprints real and imaginary with the stocking-covered fingers."

  4. 4
    a print made by an impression of the ridges in the skin of a finger; often used for biometric identification in criminal investigations wordnet
  5. 5
    A unique combination of features that serves as an identification of something. broadly

    "acoustic fingerprint"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    a generic term for any identifying characteristic wordnet
  2. 7
    A unique identification for a public key in asymmetric cryptography.
  3. 8
    A trace that gives evidence of someone's involvement. figuratively

    "And continue to ask yourself the question, could the incredible complexity of the human body with its multitudinous specialized functions have come into being completely by chance or is it another fingerprint of God?"

Verb
  1. 1
    To take somebody's fingerprints. transitive

    "The jail staff fingerprints its inmates routinely"

  2. 2
    take an impression of a person's fingerprints wordnet
  3. 3
    To identify something uniquely by a combination of measurements. transitive

    "Analytical results from this combination of leach tests are tools that allow the investigator to quantify (fingerprint) which geochemical components could be expected in runoff from these piles if they were leached by a cloudburst..."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From finger + print.

Etymology 2

From finger + print.

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