Dictionary

fingerprint en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From finger + print.

Meanings

1. The natural pattern of ridges on the tips of human fingers, unique to each individual.
2. The pattern left on a surface where an uncovered fingertip has touched, especially as used to identify the person who touched the surface.
   • The crime scene investigator has the responsibility of collecting latent fingerprints. 2012, Christopher C. Harmon, Criminal Investigation, →ISBN, page 108:
   • Nervously, he wiped the gun of fingerprints real and imaginary with the stocking-covered fingers. 1974, Patricia Highsmith, chapter 7, in Ripley's Game:
3. (broadly) A unique combination of features that serves as an identification of something.
   • Most pharmacopoeial monographs of medicinal plants include TLC as method for identification based on a chromatographic fingerprint, which consists of a sequence of characteristic substance zones. 2008, Monika Waksmundzka-Hajnos, Joseph Sherma, Teresa Kowalska, Thin Layer Chromatography in Phytochemistry, →ISBN, page 40:
   • The set of all location fingerprints and coordinates constitutes the location fingerprint database. 2010, Christoph Steiner, Location Fingerprinting for Ultra-wideband Systems, →ISBN, page 9:
   • acoustic fingerprint
4. A unique identification for a public key in asymmetric cryptography.
5. (figuratively) A trace that gives evidence of someone's involvement.
   • 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? 1999, Arvin S. Gibson, Fingerprints of God, →ISBN, page 141:

Forms

Deriveds

fingerprintable · fingerprinter · fingerprinting · chemical fingerprint · clickprint · fingerprint powder · fingerprintability · fingerprint recognition · fingerprint analysis · latent fingerprint · writeprint · Rabin fingerprint

Hyponyms

thumbprint

Synonyms

finger impression

Translations (102)

oc detada (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · gl pegada dixital (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · tl diit (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · fr empreinte digitale (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · uk відби́ток (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · it impronta digitale (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · oc detada (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ja 指紋 (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · nl digitale vingerafdruk (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · de Fingerabdruck (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ro amprentă digitală (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ja 指紋 (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · vi vân tay (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ro amprentă digitală (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · is fingrafar (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cy bysbrint (techincal) (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · es huella digital (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · cmn 指紋 /指纹 (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cy ôl bys (nontechincal) (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · lt pirštų atspaudas (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · da fingeraftryk (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ta கைரேகை (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · nb fingeravtrykk (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ru отпеча́ток (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · gl dedada (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · pt impressão digital (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ko 지문 (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ru отпеча́ток (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · fr empreinte digitale (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · mi makaurangi (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · gl pegada dixital (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ms cap jari (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · sw alama ya kidole (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · pl odcisk palca (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · tl tatak ng daliri (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · hu ujjlenyomat (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · nn fingeravtrykk (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · cs otisk (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · es huella dactilar (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · tl bakas-daliri (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · de Fingerabdruck (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · af vingerafdruk (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · sv fingeravtryck (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ky бармак тагы (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · nl vingerafdruk (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · pl odcisk palca (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ar بَصْمَة (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · tl tatak-daliri (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · bg отпечатъци от пръсти (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · da digitalt fingeraftryk (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · ru отпеча́ток па́льца (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ar بَصْمَة (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · el δακτυλικό αποτύπωμα (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · th ลายนิ้วมือ (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ga méarlorg (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ru отпеча́ток па́льца (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · tr parmak izi (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · cmn 指印 (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · be адбі́так (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cs miniatura (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · pl odcisk palca (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · fo fingramerki (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · el ψηφιακό αποτύπωμα (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · mi tapukara (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · gd meur-lorg (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · hy մատնահետք (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · el δακτυλικό αποτύπωμα (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · es huella digital (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · id sidik jari (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · bg пръстов отпечатък (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · lt pirštų atspaudas (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cmn 指紋碼 /指纹码 (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · ky бармак тагы (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ga méarlorg (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · no fingeravtrykk (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · oc emprenta digitala (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · pt impressão digital (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · fi tunniste (unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem) · sv fingeravtryck (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · fi sormenjälki (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · mi tapukara (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · hu ujjlenyomat (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · ca empremta (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ru отпеча́тки па́льцев (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · vi dấu vân tay (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · gd meur-lorg (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ms cap jari (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cs otisk prstu (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · it impronta digitale (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · cs otisk prstu (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · th ลายนิ้วมือ (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · fi sormenjälki (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · eo fingrospuro (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ar بَصْمَة (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · es huella digital (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · cmn 指紋 /指纹 (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · tr parmak izi (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · mi makaurangi (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · es huella dactilar (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · hy մատնահետք (the patterns left on surfaces where fingertips have touched) · sw alama ya kidole (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers) · ko 지문 (the pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers)

wikidata: Q178022

fingerprint en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnt/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From finger + print.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To take somebody's fingerprints.
   • The jail staff fingerprints its inmates routinely
   • Too often, the union says, farmers feel the police response is inadequate and the sentencing too lenient. It’s a view seemingly shared by one of the latest victims of bee rustling, Norfolk bee keeper Simon Greenwood, who told the Observer that police had taken some photos of the scene, fingerprinted a can and then sent him a letter to say no further action was being taken. 2017 September 23, “From north Wales to Norfolk, distraught beekeepers ask: who’s stealing our hives?”, in The Observer:
2. (transitive) To identify something uniquely by a combination of measurements.
   • 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... 2004, Philip L. Hageman, Use of Short-Term (5-Minute) and Long-Term (18-Hour) Leaching Tests to Characterize, Fingerprint, and Rank Mine-Waste Material from Historical Mines in the Deer Creek, Snake River, and Clear Creek Watersheds in and around the Montezuma Mining District, Colorado, →ISBN, page 1:
   • A significant disadvantage of DNA fingerprinting that excludes conventional methods of population genetic analysis is an absence of genetic interpretation of hybridization fragment origin. 2006, Marina May Read, Focus on DNA Fingerprinting Research, →ISBN, page 30:

Forms

Relateds

dactylography · 🫆 · hash · biometrics · tented arch

Translations (16)

de Fingerabdruck nehmen (to take fingerprints) · nl vingerafdrukken nemen (to take fingerprints) · pt tirar as digitais (to take fingerprints) · sv ta någons fingeravtryck (to take fingerprints) · el δακτυλοσκοπώ (to take fingerprints) · bg вземам отпечатъци (to take fingerprints) · fi ottaa sormenjäljet (to take fingerprints) · bg взимам отпечатъци (to take fingerprints) · bg взима отпечатъци (to take fingerprints) · ru снима́ть отпеча́тки па́льцев (to take fingerprints) · es tomarle las huellas dactilares (to take fingerprints) · ru дактилоскопи́ровать (to take fingerprints) · de Fingerabdruck machen (to take fingerprints) · nl vingerafdrukken maken (to take fingerprints) · sv ta fingeravtryck på (någon) (to take fingerprints) · de daktyloskopieren (to take fingerprints)