footprint

/ˈfʊtˌprɪnt/
noun
  1. A mark left by a foot or shoe on a surface.
    • She left wet footprints across the kitchen floor after stepping in a puddle.
    • We followed the bear's footprints through the snow.
    • The detective found a clear footprint near the window.
  2. The amount of space something occupies or the impact it has, especially on the environment.
    • Each person's water footprint includes the water used to produce the food they eat.
    • Our company is working to reduce its carbon footprint by using renewable energy.
    • The new building has a smaller ecological footprint than the old one.
  3. The area covered by a piece of equipment, a building, or a system.
    • The server has a small footprint, so it fits easily on a desk.
    • The factory's footprint covers ten acres of land.
    • This software has a minimal memory footprint and runs quickly.
What does "footprint" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean