tattoo
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /tæˈtuː/, /təˈtuː/
    • (America, Australia) IPA: [tʰæˈtʰuː]
    • (British) IPA: [tʰaˈtʰuː]
    • (Australia) IPA: [tʰæˈɾuː]
Etymology 1

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

Noun

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).
Translations Translations Verb

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.
Translations Etymology 2

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

Noun

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.
Translations Translations Translations Verb

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 […]
Etymology 3

From Hindi टट्टू.

Noun

tattoo (plural tattoos)

  1. A pony of a certain breed from India.



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