Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
footprint [foo t-print] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for footprint on Thesaurus.com noun
- a mark left by the shod or unshod foot, as in earth or sand.
- an impression of the sole of a person’s foot, especially one taken for purposes of identification.
- Informal. the track of a tire, especially on wet pavement.
- a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification: Be careful when you post on social media—your online footprint could harm your reputation. The tumors share the same genetic footprint.
- the area affected by an increase in the level of sound or noise, as that generated by an airplane.
- Telecommunications. the area of the earth’s surface within which a communications satellite’s signals can be received.
- Aerospace. the area within which it is predicted that a spacecraft or its debris will land.
- the surface space of a desk or tabletop occupied by a piece of equipment, especially a computer or other electronic device.
- the surface area occupied by any structure, device, etc.: The new store will have a large footprint.
- the impact that humans have on the environment, especially in the utilization of natural resources: China’s water footprint; ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
- any impact or effect, or its scope: the company’s wide footprint across Puerto Rico.
- Also called ecological footprint. the amount of biologically productive land and ocean area required to sustain the resource consumption and waste production of an individual, population, or human activity: measured in global acres or hectares.
- Computers. the amount of memory or disk space required by a program.
Origin of footprint First recorded in 1545–55; foot + print Related Words for footprint imprint, impression, footstep, track, trail, tread, spoor, hoofprint Examples from the Web for footprint Contemporary Examples of footprint
Every single one of them leaves a footprint online, however minor it may be.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think
Brendon Hong
December 27, 2014
Because the footprint is only partial, there is no definitive way to positively identify just whose print it is.
Amanda Knox Faces Another Guilty Verdict
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 20, 2014
Upon further investigation, she discovered that the footprint was her own.
In Oregon, No Silly Call Is Too Small for Papers’ Police Blotters
Kelly Williams Brown
January 11, 2014
And with New York now firmly on its side, the WFP is seeking to expand beyond the six states where it has a footprint.
Bill de Blasio Mayoral Win Signals Working Families Party Ascendancy
David Freedlander
November 5, 2013
The airline industry is shrinking its footprint, and seems just fine with that.
Airline Industry: Fine, Don’t Fly With Us!
Daniel Gross
February 14, 2013
Historical Examples of footprint
Then he looked about for some sign of her, some footprint by the pool.
Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew
Josephine Preston Peabody
Here is one footprint, and there is another quite different.
Jules Verne
I don’t know who made that footprint, but it certainly couldn’t have been a Bear.
Thornton W. Burgess
“Gosh, you sure made a footprint there,” he said wonderingly.
R.R. Merliss
S’pose now, you think you might run on that footprint Bob was speakin’ about, say?
The Boy Scouts’ First Camp Fire
Herbert Carter
British Dictionary definitions for footprint footprint noun
- an indentation or outline of the foot of a person or animal on a surface
- the shape and size of the area something occupiesenlarging the footprint of the building; a computer with a small footprint
- impact on the environment
- a military presencesince 1944, America’s military footprint in Europe has been in the West
- computing the amount of resources, such as disk space and memory, that an application requiresSee also electronic footprint
- an identifying characteristic on land or water, such as the area in which an aircraft’s sonic boom can be heard or the area covered by the down-blast of a hovercraft
- the area in which the signal from a direct broadcasting satellite is receivable
Word Origin and History for footprint n.
1550s, from foot (n.) + print. Related: Footprints. Old English had fotspor, fotswæð.