fingerprintfin‧ger‧print /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnt $ -ɡər-/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
His fingerprints were all over the gun. He was careful not to leave any fingerprints. The police questioned Beresford and took his fingerprints (=made a record of them).► see thesaurus at mark—fingerprint verb [transitive]
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- DNA testing provides a genetic fingerprint that can be extremely accurate.
- Now this is a policy that's got Kevin McBride's fingerprints all over it.
- Absent are the smells of Old Spice, sweat and fingerprint ink of the homicide bureau.
- All we've got to do is to take his fingerprints and compare them with the beauties on this envelope.
- Five hours later officers admitted the £9,000 Bedford Astra had gone missing before they had checked it for fingerprints.
- It meant that the fingerprints really had guaranteed his innocence.
- My fingerprints will not lose their memory.
- Rain and Oliver called at the flat but the fingerprints man had still not been.
- She kept the place looking like a crime scene, right down to the fingerprint dust on the window blinds.
- That is unacceptable; we detect the Treasury's fingerprints in this.
THESAURUSa dirty mark
a dirty area on something that spoils its appearance: · The bark of the tree had made black marks on her trousers.
a small mark on something: · a grease spot on my shirt
a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a dark liquid: · a wine stain on the tablecloth· blood stains
a mark that is made when something touches against a surface: · There was a smudge of lipstick on his cheek.· He had a smudge of chalk on his jacket.
a mark that is made by a small amount of something spread across a surface: · The table had a smear of paint on the top.
(also fingermark British English) a mark on the surface of something that is made by someone’s fingers: · The glass was covered with greasy fingerprints.
Longman Language Activatora mark made by a particular person, thing, or animal · There are marks on the tarmac where the car left the road.finger/tyre/claw marks · I don't think the tractor came this way - there are no tyre marks in the mud.· You could see the claw marks on his body where the animal had attacked.
a mark left on the ground by the foot of a person or animal: · He ran into the hallway, leaving wet footprints behind him.· The footprints in the yard were too big to be a dog's.
a mark left by the foot of an animal such as a cat or dog: · The dog had left muddy paw prints all across the kitchen floor.
a line of marks left on the ground by a moving animal, person or vehicle: · We followed the wheel tracks across the field.· The tracks, which looked like a fox's, led directly into the forest.
the marks of a person's fingers, which cannot usually be seen without using a special powder, used by police to catch criminals: · The police were examining the doors and windows, looking for fingerprints.· Her prints were identified on one of the glasses.have your fingerprints taken: · I had my fingerprints taken when I applied for a work permit.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He was careful not to leave any fingerprints. The police questioned Beresford and took his fingerprints (=made a record of them).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
a mark made by the pattern of lines at the end of a person’s finger, which is used by the police to find out who has committed a crime: He was careful not to leave any fingerprints. The police questioned Beresford and took his fingerprints (=made a record of them).· Nothing on the bodies, except of course as you pointed out his genetic fingerprint.
VERB· They had found his fingerprints everywhere.
· He knelt down and, soas to avoid leaving fingerprints, felt the barrel with the back of his hand.· If you left fingerprints in his apartment, well, so what?· She left another fingerprint in it.
· All we've got to do is to take his fingerprints and compare them with the beauties on this envelope.· They would strip search us and take our fingerprints.· The police took fingerprints from it and identified the body.
His fingerprints were all over the gun. He was careful not to leave any fingerprints. The police questioned Beresford and took his fingerprints (=made a record of them).► see thesaurus at mark—fingerprint verb [transitive]