fingerprint

/ˈfɪŋɡəprɪnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪŋɡərprɪnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌprint/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfɪŋ.ɡə.prɪnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪŋ.ɡɚ.prɪnt/ (ame, ipa)

fingerprint — noun

  • fingerprintsingular
  • fingerprintsplural

1. the set of tiny curved ridges on a person's fingertip, which forms a pattern tha

1.名詞B1
釋義

the set of tiny curved ridges on a person's fingertip, which forms a pattern that is different for every human being, or the mark that those ridges leave behind on a surface they have touched.

例句

Imani left her fingerprint on the glass when she picked up the cup.

leave a fingerprint on [surface]

The technician compared the suspect's fingerprint with the one from the door handle.

compare a fingerprint with [another]

同義詞
  • thumbprint

    specifically the print of the thumb, not any finger

  • dactylogram

    technical term used in forensic science; very rare outside specialist writing

  • finger mark

    less formal, often describes a visible smudge rather than a recorded print

用法筆記

Often used with the verbs 'leave', 'find', 'match', or 'take'. The preposition 'of' connects the person to the print: 'the fingerprint of the suspect'. Frequently appears in police and security contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The thief's foot left a fingerprint on the floor.
✅The thief's foot left a footprint on the floor.
💡a fingerprint comes from a finger, not a foot.
❌He cleaned his fingerprints from the gun.
✅He wiped his fingerprints off the gun.
💡the correct phrasal verb is 'wipe off', with the preposition 'off'.
❌I cut my finger and now there is a fingerprint of blood.
✅I cut my finger and now there is a bloody mark.
💡a mark made by an open cut is not a clear fingerprint pattern.

2. a visible dirty or oily mark that appears when a finger touches something like a

2.名詞B1
釋義

a visible dirty or oily mark that appears when a finger touches something like a window, screen, or polished surface.

例句

Hui noticed a greasy fingerprint on the white wall next to the light switch.

greasy fingerprint on [surface]

The librarian wiped a dark fingerprint off the cover of the old book.

wipe a fingerprint off [object]

同義詞
  • smudge

    broader term; a smudge may come from any source, not just a finger

  • mark

    very general; lacks the specific finger-origin this sense has

  • finger mark

    less common alternative that also signals a finger-made mark

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses only on the visible dirt or oil mark, not on the unique ridge pattern. The pattern may be too unclear for identification. Often used with verbs like 'wipe', 'clean', 'polish', and 'leave'.

常見錯誤

❌The police took the dirty fingerprint for identification.
✅The police took the fingerprint for identification.
💡if the print is too smudged to show the ridge pattern, it cannot be used to identify anyone.
❌There is a fingerprint on my phone screen, so I need to wash my hands.
✅There is a fingerprint smudge on my phone screen, so I need to clean it.
💡a fingerprint smudge is cleaned off, not washed.

3. a unique quality, feature, pattern, or sign that clearly shows the origin, ident

3.名詞B2
釋義

a unique quality, feature, pattern, or sign that clearly shows the origin, identity, or source of someone or something.

例句

The artist's fingerprint shows in the bold colours and sharp lines of her paintings.

someone's fingerprint is visible in [work]

Mert says each city neighbourhood has its own cultural fingerprint that sets it apart.

cultural fingerprint

同義詞
  • hallmark

    emphasises a quality that is typical of a person or thing

  • trademark

    often refers to a distinctive behaviour or feature someone is known for

  • signature

    suggests a deliberate, identifiable style or mark left on purpose

  • distinctive feature

    more literal; describes any trait that makes something recognisable

反義詞
  • generality

    a broad quality shared by many, not distinctive

用法筆記

Metaphorical extension of sense 1. The subject is typically a creative work, a place, a system, or an event. Often found with the preposition 'of' (the fingerprint of something) and in possessive structures (something's fingerprint). Common in academic, journalistic, and business writing.

常見錯誤

❌The cake had the fingerprint of my grandmother.
✅The cake had the mark of my grandmother's cooking style.
💡when used metaphorically, 'fingerprint' works best with abstract nouns like 'style', 'influence', or 'tradition', not with a person directly as a possessor.
❌His fingerprint is that he has blue eyes.
✅His defining feature is that he has blue eyes.
💡the metaphorical fingerprint must refer to a more complex, distinctive combination of traits, not a single physical characteristic.

fingerprint — verb