tattoo

¹

[ta-too]

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.

tattoo

²

[ta-too]

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.

verb (used with object)

tattooed, tattooing 

1. to mark (the skin) with tattoos.

2. to put (tattoos) on the skin.

tattoo

¹

/ 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

tattoo

²

/ tæˈtuː /

verb

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

noun

1. a design made by this process

2. the practice of tattooing

Other Word Forms

• tattooer noun
• tattooist noun
• untattooed adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tattoo¹

C17: from Dutch taptoe, from the command tap toe! turn off the taps! from tap tap of a barrel + toe to shut

Origin of tattoo²

C18: from Tahitian tatau

Example Sentences

Khan, an Afghan migrant, had also pointed towards an AK-47 tattoo on his face to "emphasise he wasn't joking".

Read more on BBC

In the attached photo, Mosquera sports a thick white beard, with tattoos peeping out of his orange shirt, and is described as a "latin king street gang member" convicted of "first-degree murder".

Read more on Barron's

According to the detective, the cooperator identified Quintero by his legal name, nickname and birth date — even describing a distinctive tribal band tattoo on his arm.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Her family identified her after seeing a photograph of her tattoo in a BBC News report.

Read more on BBC

Stories are inscribed in the tattoos that cover the islanders’ bodies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• emblem 
• symbol