tat

verb (1)

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\ ˈtat

tatted; tatting

Definition of tat

(Entry 1 of 5)

intransitive verb

: to work at tatting

transitive verb

: to make by tatting

tat

noun (1)

\ ˈtat

variants: or Tat

Definition of tat (Entry 2 of 5)

: a small protein produced by a lentivirus (such as HIV) that greatly increases the rate of viral transcription and replication and enhances the susceptibility of T cells to infection also : the viral gene that codes for the tat protein

tat

noun (2)

\ ˈtat

Definition of tat (Entry 3 of 5)

chiefly US slang

: a tattoo on a person's skin He pulls up his shirt to show us his tats.— Dave Eggers

tat

verb (2)

tatted; tatting

Definition of tat (Entry 4 of 5)

transitive verb

1 chiefly US slang : to mark or color the skin with tattoos : tattoo The benefit of getting tatted at a festival is that you have more than 200 artists from which to choose.— Kellie Hwang —often used with up … say you're not a gang member, yet hang out with gang members, get tatted up with gang symbols or nicknames …— Kimberly Edds

2 chiefly US slang : to mark (something) with something like a tattoo Cargo trains, all rusted and tatted with graffiti, occasionally pass on the neighboring track.— Kara Starzyk —often used with up My passport got tatted up pretty good this year. I hit a dozen countries on five continents, as well as eight states. — The Chicago Sun-Times

TAT

abbreviation

Definition of TAT (Entry 5 of 5)

thematic apperception test

First Known Use of tat

Verb (1)

1858, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1985, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1981, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1982, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for tat

Verb (1)

back-formation from tatting

Noun (1)

trans-activating transcriptional regulation

Noun (2)

by shortening

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Dictionary Entries Near tat

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Cite this Entry

“Tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tat. Accessed 27 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for tat

tat

noun, often capitalized

\ ˈtat

Medical Definition of tat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a small protein produced by a lentivirus (as HIV) within infected cells that greatly increases the rate of viral transcription and replication and that is also secreted extracellularly where it plays a role in increasing viral replication in newly infected cells and in enhancing the susceptibility of T cells to infection

— called also tat protein

2 : the viral gene that codes for the tat protein

TAT

abbreviation

Medical Definition of TAT (Entry 2 of 2)

thematic apperception test