n. 1. a. A mark left on a surface by a person's fingertip. b. An image of the ridges on a person's fingertip made by putting ink on the fingertip and pressing it against a surface or by using a digital scanning device. 2. A distinctive or identifying mark or characteristic: "We can, from his retelling [of the incident], with its particular fingerprint of stresses and omissions, learn a great deal about him" (Mark Slouka). 3. a. See DNA profile. b. A chemical fingerprint. tr.v. fin·ger·print·ed, fin·ger·print·ing, fin·ger·prints To take the fingerprints of. |
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