The American HeritageĀ® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. An impression on a surface of the curves formed by the ridges on a fingertip, especially such an impression made in ink and used as a means of identification.
n. A distinctive or identifying mark or characteristic: "the invisible fingerprint that's used on labels and packaging to sort out genuine products from counterfeitsā ( Gene G. Marcial).
n. A DNA fingerprint.
n. A chemical fingerprint.
v. To take the fingerprints of.
v. To identify by means of a distinctive mark or characteristic.
n. The unique natural pattern of ridges on the tips of the fingers.
n. The patterns left on surfaces where uncovered fingertips have touched.
n. Unique identification for public key in asymmetric cryptosystem.
v. To take somebody's fingerprints.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. an impression of the pattern of ridges on the skin of the last joint of a person's finger, left on a surface after a person has touched the surface.
n. a fingerprint{1} made intentionally in ink on a paper form for the purpose of identification of the individual.
n. any distinctive pattern of characteristics or properties of an object which can serve to identify that object.
n. a smudge made by a (dirty) finger.
v. to take an impression of the fingerprints of (a person).
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. An impression made, as with ink or some other pigment, with the tip of a finger, so that its markings are recorded.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a generic term for any identifying characteristic
v. take an impression of a person's fingerprints
n. a smudge made by a (dirty) finger
n. a print made by an impression of the ridges in the skin of a finger; often used for biometric identification in criminal investigations
Word Usage
"I think what we have to wait and look for is what we call a fingerprint on the type of device that was used."