fingerprint
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the mark left on a surface by the lines on the end of your finger, often used by police to find out who was there.
n.an impression of the curved ridges of the skin of a finger, typically used as a method of identifying individuals in forensic investigations.
Simple“The police found a clear fingerprint on the glass that helped them identify the thief.”
In context“Forensic experts carefully dusted the safe for fingerprints, hoping to find a match in the national criminal database.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a unique set of features that identifies something or someone.
n.a unique combination of characteristics or data points that serves to identify a specific person, object, or digital entity.
Simple“Every person has a unique chemical fingerprint that can be detected by special sensors.”
In context“The software creates a digital fingerprint of the file to ensure that the content has not been altered during transmission.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to take a copy of the patterns on someone's fingers, usually using ink or a scanner.
v.to record the patterns of the ridges on a person's fingertips, typically as part of a criminal booking or security clearance process.
Simple“The officer had to fingerprint the suspect before putting him in a cell.”
In context“As part of the visa application process, the embassy required all applicants to be fingerprinted and photographed at the consulate.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.