tattoo

1 of 4

noun (1)

tat·​too ta-ˈtü How to pronounce tattoo (audio)
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 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
Some 38% of women have at least one tattoo while 27% of men have one; 39% of Black Americans have tattoos, while 35% of Hispanic adults and 14% of Asian Americans have tats. Byamanda Gerut, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 From getting tattoos together to accompanying Ariana to award shows, here’s everything to know about Ariana Grande’s grandmother, Marjorie Grande. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 It’s often called a swap meet, but the stalls are like small stores, with permanent walls and shelves, where a customer can not only dress and accessorize head to toe but also get a manicure and a tattoo, haggling over prices to get a good deal. Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The Dance Moms alum’s left arm is decked out with black tattoos. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 The shoes, hair and tattoos of the shooter seen in surveillance video matched those of Henderson. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 29 Feb. 2024 The first two photos from it show Skarsgård and Twigs in romantic bliss, while the third previews Skarsgård's gothic Crow, covered in tattoos and sporting dark eye makeup. EW.com, 28 Feb. 2024 Two examples may suffice: Sensors on early versions of Apple iWatch pulse monitor raised awareness about potential techno-racial bias because the monitor did not work properly on red or dark ink tattoos. Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 Milania Giudice had a special wish for her 18th birthday: to get a tattoo. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Bowley, president of youth sports nonprofit Costa Mesa United, was celebrated as a champion of young sports in the area and was idolized by Knapp, who tattooed his initials – G.S.F.B. – on his left arm to honor him last summer. Jack Bantock, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 In a previous episode of RHOBH, Kyle permanently commemorated their relationship by tattooing her first initial onto Morgan. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2024 In this season of RHOBH, Bravo fans even saw Kyle tattooing her initial onto Morgan's arm — a gesture that had her costars raising their eyebrows. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 4 Jan. 2024 The kids' names are tattooed in birth order on Barker's back. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 For unknown reasons, they were not tattooed at Auschwitz. Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 Many people were tattooed — not just full sleeves on arms, but designs covering heads and every appendage. Simbarashe Cha, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024 Meanwhile, Richards is tattooing her first initial on Wade's arm, filming a steamy music video with the country singer that depicts them as lovers and generally acting like a woman with a giant Morgan Wade–size crush. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2024 While tattooing her number, Lali meets and falls in love with Gita (Anna Próchniak). Caroline Brew, Variety, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tattoo.' 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)

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tattoo was circa 1627

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Cite this Entry

“Tattoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tattoo. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tattoo

1 of 3 noun
tat·​too ta-ˈtü How to pronounce tattoo (audio)
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 How to pronounce tattoo (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tattoo

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