Definition

A photograph taken of a person, typically after they have been arrested, showing their face and often their profile.

Example

The police released the mugshot of the suspect to the public.

Conversation

Did you see that new show about crime documentaries?

Yeah, I watched the first episode last night!

They even showed a mugshot of the main suspect.

I know! It really added to the suspense of the story.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Mugshot → It is formed from "mug" (from British slang meaning face) and "shot" (from Old English "sceot", meaning to shoot or photograph). The term refers to a photograph taken of a person's face, typically after an arrest.

Memory Tip

Think of 'mug' as referring to someone's 'face' and 'shot' as a 'photograph' — together, a mugshot is a photograph of a person's face.

Visually Confused Words