tat

1 of 5

verb (1)

tatted; tatting

intransitive verb

: to work at tatting

transitive verb

: to make by tatting

tat

2 of 5

noun (1)

variants or Tat
: 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

3 of 5

noun (2)

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

tat

4 of 5

verb (2)

tatted; tatting

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

5 of 5

abbreviation

thematic apperception test

Examples of tat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Their guidance was essential not only technically but in the exhibition’s impressive photography of Samoan men and women who sport their tats with élan. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024 Her are 11 Sundance films tat stood out and could become box office gold. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 Johnny’s tat in tribute to his son Jack features a flying sparrow with his name written underneath it on his right forearm — which is also a nod to his character, Capt. Jack Sparrow, who sported an almost identical tattoo in Pirates of the Caribbean. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2023 The sprawling spinal tat is the latest addition to the singer's ink collection, which includes a dragon, fairies and her last name Billie Eilish just gave fans a glimpse of her latest ink! Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 Each of his 100-plus tats was closely matched using 3D scanning, with the stenciling and coloring processes taking approximately nine weeks total. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2023 Followed by a photo captured by fashion photographer Mario Testino of two bodies adorned entirely in colorful tats, a video shows Spears sitting down while a tattoo artist dots black ink on her right ring finger. Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 3 Sep. 2023 Tit for tat Iran has long argued that after the US’ withdrawal, other JCPOA signatories have also failed to stick to their parts of the deal, continuing instead to impose sanctions against Tehran. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 24 Sep. 2023 Yet dozens of mostly Black and Latin kids with ear gauges and neck tats snaked around the building, enduring miserable temperatures while the 10 freeway roared above them. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Verb
In March 2023, footage surfaced of Gyllenhaal, tatted up and in character, confronting Hieron, who plays Dalton's competitor Jack Harris, at a UFC event. Shania Russell, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2024 Notable faces include the aforementioned Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, the Beckhams (who both forgot what the Spice Girls were called), musician Jelly Roll (who doesn't remember getting his face tatted), and Usher, who can't recall having been asked to perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2024 Tatum was tatted on his rib cage while Dewan opted for her foot. Brooke Showell, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024 The One Tree Hill alum, 41, is one of the latest celebrities to be tatted by Daniel Winter. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2023 In dedication to Lily-Rose, Johnny has her name tatted on his chest. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2023 While the rest of the Underwood ladies got tatted on their wrists, the star opted for a foot tattoo. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 July 2023 Skull with Horns Malone has a skull with horns tatted on the lower side of his face near one ear, just below the Medusa. Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2023 One fan even pointed out the difference in reaction between the two Taylors getting tatted. Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

back-formation from tatting

Noun (1)

trans-activating transcriptional regulation

Noun (2)

by shortening

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tat was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near tat

Cite this Entry

“Tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tat. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tat

verb
ˈtat
tatted; tatting
: to work at or make by tatting

Medical Definition

tat

1 of 2 noun
often capitalized
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

2 of 2 abbreviation
thematic apperception test

More from Merriam-Webster on tat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!