Fingerprint

Definitions: Fingerprint

Fingerprint

Noun

1. A print made by an impression of the ridges in the skin of a finger; often used as evidence in criminal investigations.

2. Any identifying characteristic.

3. A smudge made by a (dirty) finger.

Verb

1. Take an impression of a person's fingerprints.

Date "fingerprint" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1894. (references)

Specialty Definitions: Fingerprint

Domain	Definitions
Computing	Physical characteristic identifying a terminal user; a device is used for reading and transmitting his fingerprints or thumb-print and the computer has a program for identifying this. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Fingerprint

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Note: for "digital fingerprints" see Message digest. A fingerprint is an imprint made by the pattern of ridges on the pad of a human finger. These prints are often left on objects at a crime scene and are therefore used in forensic science to identify suspects. It is widely believed that every person has a unique set of fingerprints.

Fingerprints are an early example of biometrics, the science of identifying individuals by their physical characteristics. There is no clear date at which fingerprinting was first used, some examples being from prehistory. However, some significant modern dates are as follows.

1901 - Sir Edward Richard Henry devised the Henry Classification System used in England and Wales.
1902 - Dr. Henry P. DeForrest used fingerprinting in the New York Civil Service.

Sometimes the prints are invisible, in which case they are called latent fingerprints, but there are chemical techniques such as cyanoacrylate fuming that can make them visible.

Recently the American Federal Bureau of Investigation adopted a wavelet-based system for efficient storage of fingerprint data, developed by Ingrid Daubechies.

In the 2000s, electronic fingerprint readers have been introduced for security applications such as identification of computer users (log-in authentication). However, early devices have been discovered to be vulnerable to quite simple methods of deception, such as fake fingerprints cast in gels.

There is some controversy over the uniqueness of fingerprints. Even those who accept their uniqueness sometimes argue that the techniques used to compare fingerprints are fallible.

Fingerprint analysis (or Dactylography, a term mainly used in the US) is the science of using fingerprints to uniquely identify someone. Humans leave behind prints of the ridges of the skin on their fingertips when handling certain materials. The pattern of ridges is thought to be unique for each person and in practice has proved unique enough to identify the person who left the fingerprint.

Fingerprint analysis emerged in the early 20th century, when it was the first method in forensic science for unique identification. As a result of its early success, it acquired a mystique of infallibility. It has only recently been subjected to systematic analysis by investigators from outside the field.

Fingerprint examiners have certainly disagreed with one another: the case of Shirley McKie was a notable case involving fingerprints.

External links

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/864850.stm

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Fingerprint."

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Fingerprint

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
Entry	Source	Expression	Field
FIU	English	Fingerprint Identification Unit	Computer - (Sony)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Synonym: Fingerprint

Synonym: fingermark (n). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Fingerprint

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Indication	Characteristic, diagnostic; lineament, feature, trait; fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint; cloven hoof; footfall; recognition (memory).
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Fingerprint

English words defined with "fingerprint": fingerprint expert, fingerprint man, fingerprint specialist ♦ loop, looped ♦ thumbprint ♦ whorled. (references)

Specialty definitions using "fingerprint": Application Support Centers ♦ Blood Stains ♦ dactylotype intergrowth ♦ FINGERPRINT CLASSIFIER, FINGERPRINT CLERK I, FINGERPRINT CLERK II ♦ IDENTIFICATION CLERK, IDENTIFICATION OFFICER ♦ Nipple prints ♦ POLICE OFFICER, IDENTIFICATION AND RECORDS ♦ REGISTRATION CLERK ♦ security clerk, SUPERVISOR, IDENTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATIONS. (references)

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Modern Usage: Fingerprint

Domain	Usage
Lyrics	So I'm signin' CDs while police fingerprint me (Sing For The Moment; performing artist: EMINEM)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Fingerprint

Domain	Title
Books	Advances in Fingerprint Technology, Second Edition (reference) Fingerprint an Uncommon Autobiography (reference) Fingerprint Detection With Lasers (reference) Intelligent Biometric Techniques in Fingerprint and Face Recognition (reference) Introduction to Fingerprint Comparison (reference) (more book examples)

Music	Snowflake and Fingerprint Machine (reference) (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

High Tech	Defcon Fingerprint Securityauthenticator Pccard-white Box (reference) Pccard Fingerprint Reader fornotebooks & Desktops with pccard Slot (reference) (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Fingerprint

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Photo Album: Fingerprint

Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Obverse of identification tag issued to Yeoman (F) Omah Margaret Munier, who served at the Receiving Ship, Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, in 1918-19. The reverse bears her fingerprint, etched into its face.Credit: NAVY.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Use in Literature: Fingerprint

Title	Author	Quote
Grapes of Wrath	Steinbeck, John	Sometimes I think I ought to take a course to be a fingerprint expert.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Fingerprint

Subject	Topic	Quote
Business		Biometric security from Guardware Systems is based on advanced fingerprint recognition algorithms ensuring high and reliable performance and a durable optical scanner equipped with a unique biosensor. (references)
		Guardware Systems Ltd. founded in 1999 in Budapest by an international group of investors had developed a fingerprint recognition technology by retaining innovations from previous Hungarian companies. (references)
Human Rights	Tunisia	If individuals are unable to produce cards, police may detain them until their identity can be established by a central fingerprint database. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Fingerprint

Speaker	Phrase(s)
Tom Ridge	Exactly. Their own iris scan, fingerprint scan, facial recognition, so that it might ease their pass through the gate and onto the airplane. Again, strictly talking to them on a voluntary capacity, but it does make some sense.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Fingerprint

"Fingerprint" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 95.00% of the time. "Fingerprint" is used about 80 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	95%	76	38,217
Lexical Verb (infinitive)	3.75%	3	202,518
Noun (proper)	1.25%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	80	N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expression: Fingerprint

Expressions using "fingerprint": fingerprint expert ♦ fingerprint man ♦ fingerprint specialist. Additional references.
Hypenated Usage
	Ending with "fingerprint": dna-fingerprint.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Fingerprint

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day	Expression	Frequency per Day
fingerprint	793	fingerprint access control	13
fingerprint reader	171	clipart fingerprint	13
fingerprint technology	68	fingerprint lock	12
fingerprint scanner	59	biometric fingerprint	12
picture of fingerprint	43	fingerprint technician	12
dna fingerprint	35	fingerprint biometrics	10
fingerprint kit	32	classification fingerprint	10
fingerprint card	25	art clip fingerprint	9
fingerprint type	25	fingerprint door lock	9
fingerprint identification	25	fingerprint supply	9
fingerprint recognition	20	craft fingerprint	9
fingerprint ink	19	fingerprint ibis	8
fingerprint of the god	19	fingerprint security	8
art fingerprint	18	fingerprint latent	8
fingerprint pattern	18	fingerprint software	8
fingerprint pad	16	fingerprint image	8
fingerprint poem	16	fingerprint safe	8
fingerprint sensor	16	fbi fingerprint card	8
fingerprint history	14	biometric fingerprint reader	8
fingerprint time clock	13	child fingerprint kit	7
		fbi fingerprint	7
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Fingerprint

Language		Translations for "fingerprint"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		i marr gjurmët e gishtave, gjurmë gishtash. (various references)

Arabic		‏بصمة (impress, imprint, mark, print, squeeze). (various references)

Bulgarian		вземам отпечатъци от пръсти, отпечатък от пръсти. (various references)

Chinese		指印. (various references)

Czech		otisk prstu (thumb mark). (various references)

Danish		fingeraftryk (fingerprinting, ridges of fingertips), aftryk (cast, dinge, hard copy, impression, print, printing). (various references)

Dutch		vingerafdruk (ridges of fingertips), dactylogram (ridges of fingertips). (various references)

Finnish		sormenjälki (finger-print). (various references)

French		empreinte digitale. (various references)

German		Fingerabdruck (dactylogram). (various references)

Greek		δακτυλικό αποτύπωμα (finger print). (various references)

Hebrew		טביעת אצבעות (fingermark, print). (various references)

Hungarian		ujjlenyomat (dactylogram, finger print). (various references)

Indonesian		sidik jari (dactylogram, dactyloscopy). (various references)

Italian		impronta (cachet, cavity, footprint, form, impress, impression, imprint, indent, indentation, Mark, matrix, mould form, mould impression, print, stamp, step, trace, track). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		指紋 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		しも�" (city gate, enquiry, examination, interview, question, tutelage). (various references)

Korean		지문. (various references)

Manx		mairlaf. (various references)

Norwegian		fingeravtrykk. (various references)

Pig Latin		ingerprintfay

Portuguese		impressão digital. (various references)

Russian		отпечаток пальца (dactylogram, finger-print). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		otisak prsta (finger mark). (various references)

Spanish		huella digital. (various references)

Swedish		fingeravtryck (dactylogram). (various references)

Turkish		parmak izi almak, parmak izi (dab, dactylogram, fingermark). (various references)

Ukranian		відбиток пальця (dactylogram). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Derivations: Fingerprint

Derivations
	Words beginning with "fingerprint": fingerprinted, fingerprinting, fingerprintings, fingerprints. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Fingerprint"

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "fingerprint" (pronounced fi"nggerpri'nt)
5	-p r i' n t	blueprint, footprint, newsprint.
4	-r i' n t	forint.
3	-i' n t	Gunflint, peppermint, varmint.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Fingerprint

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "e-f-g-i-i-n-n-p-r-r-t"
	-1 letter: reprinting.
	-2 letters: fingertip, inferring, infringer, interring, prefiring.
	-3 letters: feinting, ferritin, fringier, infringe, printing, refining, refiring, repining, retiring, ripening.
	-4 letters: finnier, ginnier, grifter, grinner, gripier, igniter, niftier, peining, pfennig, printer, reining, renting, reprint, rifting, ringent, tiering, tinnier, trining.
	-5 letters: engirt, erring, feting, finger, fining, finite, firing, fringe, ginner, griper, ignite, intern, intine, pieing, pinger, pinier, pining.
	Words containing the letters "e-f-g-i-i-n-n-p-r-r-t"
	+1 letter: fingerprints.
	+2 letters: fingerprinted.
	+3 letters: fingerprinting.
	+4 letters: fingerprintings.
	+5 letters: antiprofiteering.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.