The story
From mug (“face”) + shot (“snapshot”). First use appears c. 1899.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
mug shot
Today it means: A photograph of a person's face, especially one taken by the police during an arrest. Full definition →
Today it means: A photograph of a person's face, especially one taken by the police during an arrest. Full definition →
From mug (“face”) + shot (“snapshot”). First use appears c. 1899.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.