tattoo

1 of 4

noun (1)

tat·​too ta-ˈtü 

plural tattoos

1

: a mark, figure, design, or word intentionally fixed or placed on the skin:

a

: one that is indelible and created by insertion of pigment under the skin

b

: one that is temporarily applied to the skin, resembles a permanent tattoo, and usually lasts for a few days to several weeks

c

: one that is composed of scar tissue intentionally created by cutting, abrading, or burning the skin

2

: the act of tattooing : the fact of being tattooed

tattoo

2 of 4

verb (1)

tattooed; tattooing; tattoos

transitive verb

1

: to mark the skin with (a tattoo)

tattooed a flag on his chest

2

: to mark or color (the skin) with tattoos

tattooer noun

tattooist

ta-ˈtü-ist 

noun

tattoo

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural tattoos

1

: a rapid rhythmic rapping

2

a

: a call sounded shortly before taps as notice to go to quarters

b

: outdoor military exercise given by troops as evening entertainment

tattoo

4 of 4

verb (2)

tattooed; tattooing; tattoos

transitive verb

1

: to beat or rap rhythmically on : drum on

2

baseball, informal

a

: to hit (a pitched ball) very hard

An RBI single followed, and then Rougned Odor tattooed the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer.

—Derrick Goold

b

: to get many hits and runs against (a pitcher)

The Twins tattooed him for four more in the third …

—Brian Murphy

intransitive verb

: to give a series of rhythmic taps

Did you know?

The less common noun tattoo comes from the Dutch colloquialism "tap toe," which can be translated as "turn off the tap," though it was most often used to mean something like "Shut up! Cease!" The Dutch began using the word taptoe for a drum beat, and then English speakers borrowed the term (changing it slightly, to taptoo and, eventually, to tattoo). It was used especially by the military to name a drum beat (or possibly a bugle call) that signaled the day's end. This taptoo most likely led to our taps, a term for the final bugle call at night in the military.

Examples of tattoo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mason is described as being 5-foot-9, weighing 200 pounds, with a cross tattoo under is left eye, SUB tattooed on his chest, with distinctive tattoos on his neck. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023

The siblings also got tattoos together in January 2020. —Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023

Commemorate the day with a new tattoo from INKBUS Tattoo, participate in the costume contests, and test your strength at the renowned stein-holding competitions. —oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2023

To honor his grandmother, the receiver got a tattoo with her name on his stomach. —Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 15 Sep. 2023

David Sosa pointed out that the David Sosa in the database had a different date of birth, height, weight, and tattoo. —WIRED, 14 Sep. 2023

Watt has a tattoo of Wonder on his finger, and thought the artist, who’d toured with the Stones in 1972, would be the perfect fit for the song. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2023

Examples include T-shirts featuring Jesus Christ or other religious leaders, hats saying Make America Great Again, necklaces featuring the Christian cross and tattoos of a religious or political nature. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023

The tattoo starts at the top of the thigh and goes to just below the calf. —Calvin Watkins, Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2023

Verb

View full post on Instagram In the episode, Cardi tattooed her husband with their wedding date: 9/20/17. —Molly Mulshine, ELLE, 10 Sep. 2023

Dae-su kept time by tattooing his forearm, practicing martial arts, and watching endless broadcasts of political news/indoctrination, occasionally missing his wife and infant daughter. —Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2023

The cashier, whose purplish eyebrows had been tattooed to her forehead, used a rag to handle the black candles, placing them in a paper bag and handing them to her customer. —Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023

Like Berger, a fan of the east coast Sheetz gas station chain recently tattooed the company’s logo on their forearm. —John McCracken, The New Republic, 11 July 2023

Her mother was tattooing eyebrows in Incheon when a client, overhearing Yoo’s singsong greeting, observed that her voice had a perfect traditional timbre. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023

Mister Cartoon’s ‘Just My Imagination’ Mister Cartoon is known for tattooing stars that include Christina Aguilera and Snoop Dogg, creating murals across the world and designing limited-edition Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. —Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023

That's the promise of lip blushing, a type of semi-permanent makeup where lip color is quite literally tattooed onto the lips. —Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 May 2023

But for those who want to leave the creativity to someone else, Roam's latest release showcases a truly one-of-a-kind design by Wachob, a multidisciplinary artist who works on exhibitions for New York’s Whitney Museum and tattoos fans with intricate designs. —Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Tahitian tatau, noun, tattoo

Noun (2)

alteration of earlier taptoo, from Dutch taptoe, from the phrase tap toe! taps shut!

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (1)

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1780, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tattoo

• tattoo parlor

• tattoo parlor

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Kids Definition

tattoo

1 of 3 noun

tat·​too ta-ˈtü 

1

: a call sounded shortly before taps as notice to go to quarters

2

: a rapid rhythmic rapping

tattoo

2 of 3 verb

: to mark or color the skin with a tattoo

tattoo

3 of 3 noun

: a mark or figure fixed upon the body by using a needle to put color under the skin

Etymology

Noun

from earlier taptoo "a call to go to quarters for the night," from Dutch taptoe (same meaning), from the phrase tap toe! "taps shut!," used as a signal that the taps, or faucets, on the wine casks in a barroom were closed for the night

Verb

from a word in the native language of Tahiti tatau (noun) "the act of marking or coloring the skin"

Medical Definition

tattoo

1 of 2 transitive verb

tat·​too ta-ˈtü 

: to mark or color (the skin) with tattoos

tattoo

2 of 2 noun

plural tattoos

: an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin or by production of scars