Forensic Science Terminology

adjective Adulterated is an adjective that describes something that has been mixed or diluted with impurities or inferior substances.

• The company was fined for selling adulterated food products.
• I heard that some of the supplements at that store are adulterated.
• I can't believe they're still selling that adulterated stuff!
• His mind was so adulterated with negative thoughts that he couldn't see the truth.

noun a mark or spot made by blood

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The forensic team found a small bloodstain on the carpet at the crime scene.
• There's a bloodstain on your shirt, you might want to wash it out.
• I accidentally got a bloodstain on my jeans, ugh.
• The bloodstain of betrayal will forever mark their relationship.

noun the dead body of an animal, especially one that has been slaughtered or hunted

• The forensic team examined the carcass of the deer found in the woods.
• We stumbled upon a deer carcass while hiking in the forest.
• Eww, there's a gross carcass on the side of the road.
• The abandoned factory was a carcass of its former glory.

noun a medical condition characterized by a trance or seizure with a loss of sensation and consciousness

• Catalepsy is a medical condition characterized by a trance-like state and rigid body posture.
• My friend experienced catalepsy during a stressful situation and we had to call for medical help.
• I thought I was in catalepsy when I saw my favorite celebrity walking down the street.
• The intense music put me in a state of catalepsy, unable to move or speak.

noun the quality or state of being circumstantial; the quality of being detailed or specific in describing events or situations

• The psychiatrist noted the patient's circumstantiality in their speech, indicating a possible mental health condition.
• She tends to go off on tangents a lot, showing some circumstantiality in her storytelling.
• His explanations are so long-winded, full of circumstantiality, it's hard to follow what he's trying to say.
• The intricate plot of the novel was filled with circumstantiality, leading readers on a complex journey of clues and revelations.

verb to break down or rot; to decay

adjective having undergone decomposition; decayed

• The organic matter in the compost pile decomposed over time, turning into nutrient-rich soil.
• I left the fruit out for too long and now it's all decomposed and mushy.
• That old sandwich in my backpack has probably decomposed by now.
• The relationship between the two countries had decomposed beyond repair.

verb Decomposing is the present participle form of the verb decompose, which means to break down or decay into simpler substances.

• The process of decomposing organic matter is crucial for nutrient recycling in ecosystems.
• I found a pile of leaves decomposing in the backyard.
• Eww, there's a rotten banana decomposing in the kitchen.
• The relationship between the two countries was decomposing rapidly.

noun the sound made by a gun being fired

adjective describing something related to or resembling the sound of a gunshot

• The forensic team analyzed the gunshot residue found at the crime scene.
• I heard a loud gunshot coming from the woods last night.
• The gang members were caught in a shootout, exchanging gunshots in the street.
• Her words hit me like a gunshot to the heart, leaving me stunned and speechless.

noun a fold of mucous membrane partly closing the external orifice of the vagina in a virgin

• The doctor explained the importance of understanding the hymen and its role in female anatomy.
• I heard that some people believe the hymen can determine a woman's virginity.
• She was so nervous about losing her hymen on her wedding night.
• The hymen of innocence was shattered when she discovered the harsh realities of the world.

noun a process of recognizing or distinguishing someone or something

adjective used to describe something that is able to be identified or recognized

• The identification process involves verifying a person's identity through official documents.
• Make sure to bring your identification with you when you go to the airport.
• I left my ID at home, can I still get in without identification?
• The author's use of vivid imagery in the novel serves as a form of identification for readers to connect with the story.

noun the act or process of investigating

• The police launched an investigation into the robbery.
• They're investigating who stole the cookies from the kitchen.
• The detectives are on the case, trying to crack the investigation.
• She delved deep into her own thoughts, conducting an investigation of her own mind.

noun a convex lens that is used to produce an enlarged image of an object

• The detective used a magnifying glass to examine the tiny details of the crime scene.
• I found a cool magnifying glass at the antique store the other day.
• Check out this sick magnifying glass I got for a steal!
• Sometimes we need a magnifying glass to see the truth hidden beneath the surface.

verb to severely damage or mutilate, often beyond recognition

• The machine mangled the metal beyond recognition.
• I accidentally mangled my scarf in the washing machine.
• The car crash mangled the bumper pretty bad.
• His words were so twisted and mangled that no one could understand his true intentions.

noun A person who is trained and licensed to perform autopsies and determine the cause of death in cases of suspicious or unexplained circumstances.

• The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be a heart attack.
• The medical examiner said it was a heart attack that killed him.
• The ME figured it was a heart attack that did him in.
• The medical examiner's findings were like a puzzle piece that completed the investigation.

noun the small, precise, or trivial details of something

• The lawyer meticulously reviewed every minutiae of the contract before signing.
• I don't have time to worry about all the minutiae, let's just get it done.
• Stop sweating the small stuff, focus on the big picture instead of the minutiae.
• She was lost in the minutiae of her thoughts, unable to see the bigger picture.

noun a place where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation

• The deceased's body was taken to the mortuary for further examination.
• I heard they found something strange in the mortuary last night.
• I never want to step foot in a mortuary, it gives me the creeps.
• The abandoned factory felt like a mortuary, with its eerie silence and empty halls.

verb The word 'murdered' is a past tense verb that describes the action of unlawfully killing another person with intent.

• The detective investigated the case of the murdered woman.
• They say that poor guy was murdered last night.
• I heard that dude got straight up murdered.
• Her hopes and dreams were murdered by the harsh reality of life.

verb to lie over or upon; rest on top of

• The sedimentary rock overlying the shale layer is composed of sandstone.
• The new carpet overlies the old hardwood floor in the living room.
• I'm gonna lay low and let things overlie for a while.
• Her guilt overlying her true feelings caused her to act irrationally.

verb to plan or consider beforehand; to deliberate

adjective planned or considered beforehand; deliberate

• The prosecutor argued that the crime was premeditated and carefully planned.
• She had premeditated the surprise party for weeks before his birthday.
• I can't believe he premeditated that prank on his friend!
• His decision to quit his job seemed premeditated, as if he had been planning it for a while.

noun a hastily written or poorly executed piece of writing

verb to write or draw in a hurried, careless way

• The doctor's handwriting was so illegible, it looked like a scrawl on the prescription.
• I quickly scrawled a reminder on a sticky note before I forgot.
• She scrawled her number on a napkin and handed it to him before leaving the bar.
• The graffiti artist's scrawl on the wall was a bold statement against conformity.

noun a fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male reproductive tract

• The presence of semen in the forensic evidence linked the suspect to the crime scene.
• I accidentally spilled some semen on my pants while doing laundry.
• Bro, don't be such a jerk and clean up your semen off the bathroom floor.
• His words were like toxic semen, spreading negativity everywhere.

noun the action of splashing or scattering a liquid or particles

adjective having the quality of splattering or scattering

• The chef carefully prevented any spattering of hot oil while frying the chicken.
• I always end up with oil spattering everywhere when I cook bacon.
• I hate it when the grease starts spattering all over the stove.
• His anger was like a pot of boiling water, spattering out in all directions.

noun a mark, object, or other indication of the existence or passing of something

verb to make a mark or marks with or as if with a pointed instrument

• The detective was able to trace the suspect's movements through the city using CCTV footage.
• I can't trace my keys anywhere, have you seen them?
• I tried to trace the call, but the signal was too weak.
• The artist's brush left a delicate trace of color on the canvas.

noun A device or mechanism for tracing something, such as a gun attachment that shows the path of a bullet

• The forensic scientist used a tracer to analyze the chemical composition of the substance.
• The detective used a tracer to track down the suspect's location.
• I heard they're using tracers in the game to see through walls.
• Her kindness left a tracer in his heart, guiding him towards a better path.

noun a mark, object, or other indication of the existence or passing of something

verb to find or discover by investigation

• The forensic team conducted extensive tracing of the suspect's movements at the crime scene.
• I'm tracing back our steps to see where we might have lost the keys.
• I'm tracing the IP address to find out who's been hacking into our system.
• She traced the origins of the ancient artifact to a small village in Greece.

verb to reveal or make known something that was previously hidden or secret

• The detective was able to uncover new evidence in the case.
• I can't wait to uncover the surprise party plans for my birthday!
• Let's go explore the abandoned building and see what we can uncover.
• Through therapy, she was able to uncover deep-seated emotions that were holding her back.

noun the act or process of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth

verb to eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth

• The patient experienced nausea and began to vomit after ingesting the medication.
• I felt so sick that I ended up vomiting in the bathroom.
• I had way too much to drink last night and ended up vomiting everywhere.
• The graphic scene in the movie was so intense, it made me want to vomit.

noun a pattern of spirals or concentric circles

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The forensic expert examined the fingerprint whorl for identification purposes.
• I noticed a unique whorl pattern on the shell of the snail.
• Check out the cool whorl design on this new phone case!
• The dancers moved in a whorl of colorful costumes during the performance.

noun Lateral flow test

• The lateral flow test is commonly used in medical diagnostics to quickly detect the presence of certain substances.
• I had to take a lateral flow test before entering the event to make sure I wasn't sick.
• I'll just do a quick lateral flow test before heading out to make sure I'm good to go.
• Using the lateral flow test is like having a quick peek into what's going on inside your body.

noun A person who specializes in analyzing and identifying fingerprints for forensic purposes

• The fingerprint analyst carefully examined the evidence collected from the crime scene.
• The fingerprint analyst was able to match the prints found at the scene to a suspect.
• The fingerprint analyst busted the perp using the prints left at the scene.
• The fingerprint analyst was like a detective uncovering the hidden clues in the fingerprints.

noun a criminal offense involving unwanted sexual contact or behavior

adjective describing the severity of the sexual imposition

• The defendant was charged with gross sexual imposition for his actions towards the victim.
• I can't believe he got arrested for gross sexual imposition, that's messed up.
• They caught him red-handed with gross sexual imposition, what a sicko.
• His lies and deceit were a form of gross sexual imposition on her emotions.

noun a person or thing that rips, such as a tool or machine for tearing or cutting materials

adjective used to describe something as excellent, exciting, or impressive

• The ripper was used to cut through thick layers of fabric with precision.
• I borrowed my friend's ripper to fix a tear in my jeans.
• That new song is an absolute ripper, I can't stop listening to it!
• The documentary exposed the ripper behind the corruption scandal.

noun the act of taking fingerprints for identification purposes

• Fingerprinting is a common method used in forensic science to identify individuals based on their unique patterns of ridges and valleys on their fingertips.
• They had to do fingerprinting at the police station after the break-in.
• I heard they're doing fingerprinting at the crime scene to catch the thief.
• In a way, our choices and actions can act as a form of fingerprinting, leaving a unique mark on the world around us.

noun a visible raised area or lump on the skin, typically caused by a blow or injury

• The forensic expert examined the bump mark on the victim's head for any signs of trauma.
• I noticed a bump mark on my car after parking it in a tight spot.
• She accidentally bumped into the wall and left a mark on it.
• The success of the new product launch left a bump mark on their sales chart.

verb to act out or perform again, especially in a historical context

• The historical society decided to re-enact the Battle of Gettysburg for the upcoming anniversary.
• Let's re-enact that scene from our favorite movie at the talent show.
• We should totally re-enact that prank on our friend for his birthday.
• Sometimes it feels like life is just a stage where we re-enact the same old scenes over and over again.

noun the act or process of identifying or recognizing something by piecing together different parts or clues

• Jigsaw identification is a method used in forensic investigations to piece together fragmented information to identify a person.
• Jigsaw identification is like putting together a puzzle to figure out who someone is.
• When investigators do jigsaw identification, they're basically playing detective with scattered clues.
• In a way, jigsaw identification is like solving a mystery by connecting the dots in a scattered picture.

noun the study of fingerprints, palm prints, and sole prints

• Dermatoglyphics is the study of the patterns of ridges on the skin of the fingers, palms, toes, and soles.
• I heard that dermatoglyphics can reveal a lot about a person's genetic makeup.
• Have you ever had your dermatoglyphics analyzed? It's pretty cool to see what it says about you.
• The dermatoglyphics of society can be seen in the unique characteristics of each individual.

noun a substance that increases the speed of a chemical reaction, especially one used in starting a fire or explosion

• The investigators found traces of accelerant at the scene of the fire.
• They suspect that someone used accelerant to start the fire.
• I heard they used some kind of accelerant to speed up the burning.
• His passion acted as an accelerant for his career growth.

noun a waxy substance formed during the decomposition of animal flesh in moist conditions

• The forensic scientist identified the presence of adipocere on the exhumed body.
• The body was so well-preserved that it looked like it was covered in wax.
• That corpse was all adipocere'd up, it was creepy!
• The old memories had turned into adipocere in her mind, preserved and unchanging.