• IPA: /tæˈtuː/, /təˈtuː/
  • (America, Australia) IPA: [tʰæˈtʰuː]
  • (British) IPA: [tʰaˈtʰuː]
  • (Australia) IPA: [tʰæˈɾuː]

From earlier tattaow, tattow, a borrowing from a poz-pol - language, e.

tattoo

1. An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
   • 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 22 ↗:

     Victor was spot on, of course; in fact, I have often been tempted to seek him out when I have been plagued by diseases of the heart. He'd be able to tell me in ten seconds whether someone was worth a tattoo or not.

2. A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

• French: tatouage
• German: Tätowierung, Tattoo
• Italian: tatuaggio
• Portuguese: tatuagem
• Russian: татуиро́вка
• Spanish: tatuaje

• German: Tätowieren
• Russian: татуи́рование

tattoo (tattoos, present participle tattooing; simple past and past participle tattooed)

1. To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).
2. (baseball) To hit the ball hard, as if to figuratively leave a tattoo on the ball.

   Jones tattoos one into the gap in left; that will clear the bases.

• French: tatouer
• German: tätowieren
• Italian: tatuare
• Portuguese: tatuar
• Russian: татуи́ровать
• Spanish: tatuar

From earlier tap-to, borrowed from Dutch taptoe, from tap ("tap; faucet on a cask") + toe ("to; shut").

tattoo

1. (nautical) A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).
   • 2017, Charles King, Cadet Days:

     Study goes on until tattoo, which, when Pops was at the Point, was sounded at 9.30, followed by taps at 10.

2. (military) A signal by drum or bugle ordering soldiers to return to their quarters.
3. (military) A military display or pageant.

• German: Zapfenstreich

• German: Zapfenstreich
• Spanish: retreta

• German: Großer Zapfenstreich
• Spanish: parada

tattoo (tattoos, present participle tattooing; simple past and past participle tattooed)

1. To tap rhythmically on, to drum.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 22, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC ↗:

     He had looked at the clock many scores of times; and at the street, where the rain was pattering down, and the people as they clinked by in pattens, left long reflections on the shining stone: he tattooed at the table: he bit his nails most completely […]

From Hindi टट्टू.

tattoo (plural tattoos)

1. A pony of a certain breed from India.