thumbprint

noun

thumb·​print ˈthəm-ˌprint 

1

: an impression made by the thumb

especially : a print made by the inside of the first joint

2

: something that identifies

especially : fingerprint sense 2a

Examples of thumbprint in a Sentence

He left a dirty thumbprint on the page.

Recent Examples on the Web

Roll dough balls and make thumbprint: Roll 1 heaping tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. —Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2024

As well as housing honeybees to contribute to the island’s agricultural thumbprint. —Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

One finding even goes so far as to pinpoint and classify idiosyncrasies in piloting skills—so perhaps repeat offenders might one day be spotted by the thumbprint their copter leaves on the sky. —IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020

The cookie mix and raspberry spread makes a classic thumbprint cookie that Markle recently shared on her Instagram. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for thumbprint

• blueprint
• footprint
• imprint
• misprint
• newsprint
• nonprint
• preprint
• reprint
• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint

Kids Definition

thumbprint

noun

thumb·​print ˈthəm-ˌprint 

: an impression made by the thumb