also: an ink impression of the lines upon the fingertip taken for the purpose of identification
2
: something that identifies: such as
a
: a trait, trace, or characteristic revealing origin or responsibility
b
: analytical evidence (such as a spectrogram) that characterizes an object or substance
especially: the chromatogram or electrophoretogram obtained by cleaving a protein by enzymatic action and subjecting the resulting collection of peptides to two-dimensional chromatography or electrophoresis
c
: the base-pair pattern in an individual's DNA obtained by DNA fingerprinting
Detectives found his fingerprints all over the gun.
Everyone has a unique fingerprint.
Recent Examples on the WebThe man’s identity has not been released, pending the results of fingerprint analysis.—Michael Williams, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023 The Dynamic Island also houses the tech necessary for Apple's Face ID authentication method; Samsung's equivalent is an under-display fingerprint sensor.—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023 The 5 also gets a larger screen and LTE connectivity, making the phone much faster than its predecessors.
2013: iPhone 5S, fingerprint for entry
The 5S added the Touch ID feature, Apple’s first foray into biometric data usage as a replacement for passwords.—Jennifer Korn, CNN, 11 Sep. 2023 Numerous studies have found the fingerprints of climate change in heat waves from the Pacific Northwest to Europe.—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023 Only 22 Camp fire victims were identified using conventional methods, including fingerprints, dental records and surgical devices, such as knee replacements, breast implants and pacer machines, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.—Jenny Jarvie, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Sep. 2023 Each individual’s coloration pattern is unique, like a human fingerprint.—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Aug. 2023 The right side of the device has a volume rocker and a fingerprint sensor/power button.—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 29 Aug. 2023 The fluke’s craggy ridge-line can be used, like a fingerprint, to distinguish individual whales.—Camille Bromley, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fingerprint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
especially: an ink impression of the lines on the fingertip taken for purpose of identification
2
: analytical evidence (as a spectrogram) that characterizes an object or substance
especially: the chromatogram or electrophoretogram obtained by cleaving a protein by enzymatic action and subjecting the resulting collection of peptides to two-dimensional chromatography or electrophoresis compare dna fingerprinting
fingerprint
2 of 2transitive verb
: to analyze (as spectrographically or chromatographically) in order to determine uniquely the identifying characteristics, origin, or constitution of
each protein was fingerprinted
fingerprintingnoun
Legal Definition
fingerprint
noun
fin·ger·print
: the impression of a fingertip on any surface
also: an ink impression of the lines upon the fingertip taken for the purpose of identification (as during the booking procedure following an arrest) see also dna fingerprinting
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