tattoo

¹ American  

[ta-too] / tæˈtu /

noun

plural

tattoos

1. a signal on a drum, bugle, or trumpet at night, for soldiers or sailors to go to their quarters.

2. a knocking or strong pulsation.

   My heart beat a tattoo on my ribs.

3. British. an outdoor military pageant or display.

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tattoo ² American  

[ta-too] / tæˈtu /

noun

plural

tattoos

1. the act or practice of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, legends, etc., by making punctures in it and inserting pigments.

2. a pattern, picture, legend, etc., so made.

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verb (used with object)

tattooed, tattooing

1. to mark (the skin) with tattoos.

2. to put (tattoos) on the skin.

tattoo ¹ British  

/ tæˈtuː /

noun

1. (formerly) a signal by drum or bugle ordering the military to return to their quarters

2. a military display or pageant, usually at night

3. any similar beating on a drum, etc

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tattoo ² British  

/ tæˈtuː /

verb

1. to make (pictures or designs) on (the skin) by pricking and staining with indelible colours

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noun

1. a design made by this process

2. the practice of tattooing

Other Word Forms

• tattooer noun
• tattooist noun
• untattooed adjective

Etymology

Origin of tattoo¹

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier taptoo, from Dutch taptoe, literally, “shut tap,” from tap “spigot, tap” + toe “closed, shut”; cognate with tap ² ( def. ), to ( def. )

Origin of tattoo²

First recorded in 1760–70; from Marquesan tatu; replacing tattow, from Tahitian tatau

Example Sentences

But if we should get one Geese lyric tattooed on us, what would it be?

From BBC

Another person posted about a missing person’s tattoos: “She has a flesh-colored crown on the right shoulder, a champagne glass on the left shoulder as well as 2 stars.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Their source was "a man" with his name tattooed somewhere on Styles' body.

From BBC

Longtime reader Irwin Weinberg, 77, a retired consultant from Naples, Fla., shared a picture of the tattoo he got after his wife of 46 years died.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s been working out more consistently and he has his eyes set on a couple of tattoo artists in L.A. and Europe, but the new hair kicked everything off.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• emblem
• symbol