fingerprint

noun

fin·ger·print | \ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint

Definition of fingerprint

1 : the impression of a fingertip on any surface 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

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Examples of fingerprint in a Sentence

Detectives found his fingerprints all over the gun. Everyone has a unique fingerprint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Case in point is the Vivo Nex, which launched last month with ultra-slim bezels, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and an eye-catching pop-up selfie camera. — James Vincent, The Verge, "The Vivo Nex and its pop-up selfie camera are going on sale in India and elsewhere," 9 July 2018 Labs and doors were equipped with fingerprint scanners. — Roger Lowenstein, New York Times, "How One Company Scammed Silicon Valley. And How It Got Caught.," 21 May 2018 Police also announced plans for new fingerprint scanners to track the comings and goings of officers. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Judge rebukes Baltimore police, says she won't send convicted lieutenant to prison," 9 May 2018 The company said that its Touch ID fingerprint scanner could be duped in 1 in 50,000 cases. — Don Reisinger, Fortune, "Web Browsers Are Starting to Kill Passwords," 10 Apr. 2018 Smart locks replace standard locks with an electronic device, often battery-powered, that can be accessed using a phone app, digital keypad or even fingerprint sensors. — Joshua Fruhlinger, WSJ, "Is It Smart to Install a Smart Lock?," 11 July 2018 In-display fingerprint technology is still very new and starting to proliferate, with some of the first examples being the Vivo X20 and the Huawei Porsche Design Mate RS. — Stefan Etienne, The Verge, "Xiaomi’s next flagship phone might have an in-display fingerprint sensor," 18 May 2018 Chandler spent nine years in prison for the 1993 murder of Brenda Whitfield before he was cleared in 2009 through new fingerprint technology. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Special prosecutor named for ex-cop who helped convict 3 innocent men," 18 May 2018 As rumored, the iPhone X will use facial recognition—Apple calls it Face ID—as opposed to a fingerprint sensor. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Pixel 2, Pixelbook, and Home Max—All the Big News From Google's Gadget Event," 4 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fingerprint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near fingerprint

Statistics for fingerprint

Last Updated

20 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for fingerprint

The first known use of fingerprint was in 1737

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More Definitions for fingerprint

fingerprint

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fingerprint

: the mark that is made by pressing the tip of a finger on a surface

: a mark of this kind made in ink for the purpose of identifying a person

: something (such as genetic material) that can be used to identify a person

See the full definition for fingerprint in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fingerprint

noun

fin·ger·print | \ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint

Kids Definition of fingerprint

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the unique pattern of marks made by pressing the tip of a finger on a surface

fingerprint

verb

fingerprinted; fingerprinting

Kids Definition of fingerprint (Entry 2 of 2)

: to obtain fingerprints in order to identify a person

fingerprint

noun

fin·ger·print | \-ˌprint

Medical Definition of fingerprint

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the impression of a fingertip on any surface 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

transitive verb

Medical Definition of fingerprint (Entry 2 of 2)

: to analyze (as spectrographically or chromatographically) in order to determine uniquely the identifying characteristics, origin, or constitution of each protein was fingerprinted

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fingerprint

noun

fin·ger·print

Legal Definition of fingerprint

: 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