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 Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Previously, Apple utilized touch ID, which allowed users to unlock their phones with a fingerprint.—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025 Johnson also put his fingerprints all over quarterback Jared Goff’s career rebound, unlocking a three-year run in which Goff threw for 13,642 yards and 96 touchdowns with a 102.7 rating.—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025 Get the recipe 03 of 10 Southern Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is like a fingerprint—every Southerner's version is unique.—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025 The latest: The Department of Homeland Security announced this week that undocumented immigrants must now register and provide fingerprints.—Kate Murphy, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fingerprint
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
Share