Fingerprinting

/ˈfɪŋɡərˌprɪntɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The process of recording or analyzing fingerprints for identification purposes, or creating a unique identifying profile of something.

Etymology

From 'fingerprint' (finger + print, meaning a mark made by pressing) plus the suffix '-ing.' The forensic technique was developed systematically in the late 1800s.

Kelly Says

Digital fingerprinting now identifies not just people but also dolphins, tigers, and even diseases by their unique 'signatures'—biometrics expanded so far beyond human fingers that it became a universal identification language.

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