fingerprint
n.n. the special pattern of tiny lines on the tip of your finger. No two people have the same fingerprint, which is why they are often used to identify someone.
n. an impression made by the friction ridges of a human finger; also, the unique pattern of those ridges itself. It is widely used for identification purposes.
The police found a fingerprint on the glass.
To improve security, the app now requires a fingerprint scan to access your account information.
While identical twins share the same DNA, developmental variations in the womb ensure that each individual possesses a completely unique fingerprint.
English finger + print, first compounded as finger-print in the 1880s. The press originally borrowed the form while reporting Sir Francis Galton’s identification schemes and the word had settled into one piece by 1891.