Forensic Science Terms

noun the quality or state of being admissible; the acceptability of something, especially as evidence in a court of law

• The admissibility of the evidence will be determined by the judge.
• Whether or not they let that evidence in is up to the judge.
• It's all about whether the judge will allow that evidence.
• The admissibility of new ideas is crucial for progress in any field.

verb to cause someone to stop breathing and die or to be unable to breathe

• The victim was found asphyxiated in their home.
• Don't play with plastic bags over your head, you could asphyxiate!
• I felt like I was gonna straight up asphyxiate in that stuffy room.
• The oppressive rules seemed to asphyxiate any creativity in the workplace.

noun a rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

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• The forensic expert carefully examined the bones found at the crime scene.
• I heard that old man Johnson has a lot of bones buried in his backyard.
• I can't believe he has the bones to ask her out after what he did.
• She has a lot of skeletons in her closet, but she doesn't let them rattle her bones.

verb to cover or hide something in the ground

preposition used to indicate location or position within something

• The treasure was buried in a secret location deep in the forest.
• I can't believe my keys were buried in the couch cushions this whole time.
• She's always buried in her phone, she never pays attention to anything else.
• His emotions were buried in a deep well of sorrow after the loss of his pet.

noun A store or shop where chemicals and chemical products are sold

• The chemist conducted a series of experiments to determine the chemical composition of the substance.
• My friend works as a chemist and loves mixing different chemicals together in the lab.
• I heard that new chemist at the lab is a real wizard when it comes to creating new compounds.
• She approached the problem like a chemist, carefully analyzing each component before coming to a conclusion.

noun the body of evidence or facts that prove a crime has been committed

• The prosecution must establish the corpus delicti before proceeding with the trial.
• They need to prove the corpus delicti first before anything else.
• Gotta show the corpus delicti to move forward with the case.
• Without the corpus delicti, the case is like a ship without a sail.

adjective able to be discovered or perceived; noticeable

• The levels of the substance in the sample were so low that they were barely detectable.
• I can't see any difference in taste, but maybe there's a detectable change in the recipe.
• I don't think there's anything detectable about his new haircut.
• The tension in the room was so thick, it was almost detectable.

noun something that furnishes proof

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• The forensic team presented compelling evidence linking the suspect to the crime scene.
• There's no evidence to support that wild conspiracy theory.
• I need some solid evidence before I believe a word you say.
• Her smile was the evidence of a happy heart.

verb to clear from guilt or blame; to declare or prove someone is not guilty of wrongdoing

• The evidence presented in court helped to exculpate the defendant of all charges.
• The alibi provided by his friend exculpated him from the crime.
• The video footage exculpated him, proving he was innocent.
• Her apology did not exculpate her from the hurtful things she said.

verb to clear from accusation or blame; to free from guilt or responsibility

• The new evidence helped exonerate the wrongly accused man.
• They finally proved that he didn't do it and exonerated him.
• They cleared his name and exonerated him from all charges.
• The truth came out and exonerated him, washing away all doubts.

noun the act of clearing someone from blame or accusation; the state of being declared not guilty

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• The forensic evidence led to the exoneration of the wrongly accused man.
• They finally proved his innocence and he got off the hook.
• They cleared his name and he was in the clear.
• Her exoneration was like a weight lifted off her shoulders.

noun a substance used to preserve or stabilize something, especially a solution applied to a specimen for microscopy

• The artist sprayed a fixative over the charcoal drawing to prevent smudging.
• Make sure you use a fixative on your sketch so it doesn't get ruined.
• I always spray some fixative on my artwork to keep it looking fresh.
• She used his words as a fixative to hold onto her fading memories.

noun a person or animal that consumes the flesh of other creatures

adjective describing something that feeds on or consumes flesh

• Flesh eating bacteria can cause serious infections if not treated promptly.
• I heard about this flesh eating virus going around, it's really scary.
• Watch out for that flesh eating bug, it's been spreading like wildfire.
• The gossip in this town is like flesh eating, it spreads quickly and destroys reputations.

adjective causing horror or disgust; gruesome

• The detective described the crime scene as grisly, with blood spattered everywhere.
• I couldn't watch that grisly movie, it was too scary for me.
• That horror game is so grisly, it gave me nightmares.
• The grisly truth of the matter is that we are running out of time.

adjective causing repulsion or horror; grisly

• The crime scene was filled with gruesome evidence of the violent act.
• I can't watch that gruesome horror movie, it's too scary for me.
• The details of the accident were so gruesome, I couldn't believe my eyes.
• The aftermath of the battle was a gruesome sight, with bodies scattered everywhere.

noun the crime of unlawfully killing another person

• The suspect was charged with homicide after the victim's body was found.
• The police think it was a homicide, but they're still investigating.
• I heard there was a homicide down the street last night.
• The downfall of the company was like a slow homicide of its reputation.

adjective not allowed or considered acceptable

• The evidence presented was deemed inadmissible in court.
• They couldn't use that as evidence because it was inadmissible.
• That piece of information is totally inadmissible, dude.
• Her excuses were inadmissible in the eyes of her friends.

verb to accuse of or present proof of a crime or fault

• The evidence presented in court was not enough to incriminate the defendant.
• I don't think they can incriminate him with just that little bit of information.
• They're trying to pin the crime on him, but they won't be able to incriminate him.
• His actions seemed to incriminate him in the eyes of the public.

verb to accuse or blame someone for a crime or wrongdoing

• The suspect was inculpated based on the evidence presented in court.
• He got inculpated for stealing from the store.
• She was totally inculpated for skipping school.
• His reckless behavior inculpated him in the eyes of his peers.

noun a room or building equipped for scientific experiments, research, or teaching

adjective relating to a laboratory

• The laboratory conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
• We spent all afternoon in the lab working on our project.
• I can't wait to mix some chemicals in the lab today!
• Her mind was like a laboratory, constantly analyzing and experimenting with new ideas.

adjective a descriptive word that modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'muffled' describes a sound that is not clear or loud because it is being blocked or obstructed

• The sound of the thunder was muffled by the thick walls of the castle.
• I could hear my mom talking on the phone, but her voice sounded muffled.
• I tried to listen in on their conversation, but it was all muffled, couldn't make out a thing.
• Her emotions were muffled by years of suppression, making it hard for her to express herself freely.

noun the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another

verb to kill (someone) unlawfully and with premeditation

• The suspect has been charged with first-degree murder.
• I heard there was a murder at the park last night.
• Did you see that show last night? It was murder!
• His betrayal was like a murder of trust in our relationship.

noun A person who commits murder, the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

• The jury found the defendant guilty of being a murderer.
• Everyone in town knows he's a murderer.
• That guy is a straight-up murderer.
• His betrayal was like a dagger in the back, making him a murderer of trust.

noun a person who is skilled at outguessing others

verb to surpass someone in guessing or predicting

• It is impossible to outguess the outcome of the stock market.
• I tried to outguess the traffic by taking a different route.
• You can't outguess Mother Nature when it comes to the weather.
• She always seems to outguess me when we play chess.

verb to build or form (something) again after it has been damaged or destroyed

• The archaeologists were able to reconstruct the ancient city based on the ruins they found.
• I'm trying to reconstruct what happened last night after I left the party.
• I need to reconstruct my outfit for the concert tonight.
• After the accident, she had to reconstruct her life from scratch.

noun a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used

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• The residue left behind after the chemical reaction was carefully analyzed in the lab.
• There was some residue from the party last night that we need to clean up.
• I hate it when there's residue on my dishes after I wash them.
• The residue of his past mistakes still lingered in his mind, affecting his decisions.

noun An exact likeness or duplicate

• The young man was the spitting image of his late grandfather.
• Wow, you are the spitting image of your mom when she was your age!
• She's like the spitting image of her favorite celebrity.
• The new sculpture was the spitting image of the artist's vision.

noun an aggregate of similar cells and cell products forming a definite kind of structural material with a specific function, in a multicellular organism

• The doctor examined the tissue sample under a microscope.
• I always carry tissues in my bag in case I need them.
• Hey, can you pass me a tissue? I think I have a runny nose.
• The community came together like a tissue, strong and supportive in times of need.

noun a waste product filtered from the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the form of liquid

• The doctor analyzed the patient's urine sample for any signs of infection.
• I had to give a urine sample at the doctor's office today.
• I can't believe I spilled my urine sample all over the floor!
• His words were like toxic urine, poisoning the atmosphere of the room.

noun a type of wear that occurs on the surface of an object as a result of microscopic interactions

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• The study of microwear patterns on artifacts can provide valuable insights into ancient cultures.
• I can tell this knife has been used a lot just by looking at the microwear on the blade.
• Dude, check out the microwear on this old skateboard - it's seen some serious action!
• The microwear on her favorite pair of shoes tells the story of all the places she's been.

verb to clear from accusation or blame; to declare or prove someone's innocence

• The new evidence presented in court ended up exonerating the defendant of all charges.
• The new proof that came to light totally exonerated him!
• They finally found the evidence that cleared his name completely.
• The truth came out, exonerating him like a weight lifted off his shoulders.

adjective relating to the study of ancient diseases in human and animal remains

• The study of paleopathological evidence can provide valuable insights into ancient health conditions.
• Learning about paleopathological findings is like uncovering medical mysteries from the past.
• Checking out the paleopathological stuff is like diving into ancient medical records.
• Exploring paleopathological data is like deciphering the health history of our ancestors.

verb to accuse or blame someone for a crime or wrongdoing

• The evidence presented in court was not enough to inculpate the defendant.
• They tried to inculpate me in the crime, but I had an alibi.
• The police were trying to pin the blame on me, but they couldn't inculpate me.
• Her actions inadvertently inculpated her in the scandal, even though she had no direct involvement.

noun a fictional or made-up word with no specific definition

• The medical team used drugalyse to analyze the effects of the new medication on the patients.
• I heard they're using drugalyse to see how the new drug works.
• The doctors are running some drugalyse tests to check out the new meds.
• She could drugalyse the situation and see that something was not right.

noun a plural form of the word 'acusia', which refers to the loss of the ability to hear sounds normally

• The lawyer presented compelling evidence to refute the acusiae against his client.
• I heard there are some acusiae floating around about that new employee.
• Don't believe all those acusiae, they're just rumors.
• Her sharp words were like acusiae, piercing through his defenses.

noun a muscle that draws a part towards the median line of the body or towards the axis of an extremity

• The chemical reaction resulted in the formation of an adduct.
• The scientist was able to create an adduct by combining the two compounds.
• I heard they're working on some new adduct in the lab.
• The collaboration between the two artists produced a creative adduct in the form of a unique painting.