Illustration of fingerprint
- 1 arch
- 2 loop
- 3 whorl
- 4 composite
fin·ger·print
ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint
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
fingerprint
transitive verb
fin·ger·print·ing
ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprin-tiŋ
1
: the act or an instance of taking an ink impression of someone's fingerprints for the purpose of identification
sent him in for fingerprinting
also
: identification using this process
But he was also concerned that fingerprinting was slipping out of the hands of men like himself whom he considered "scientists" and into the hands of men like Collins whom he regarded as poorly educated clerks. —Simon Cole
2
: identification by analyzing characteristics unique to individuals
genetic fingerprinting
protein fingerprinting
Cite this Entry
“Fingerprint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fingerprint. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.
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