Definitions for tattoo
tæˈtutat·too

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tattoo(noun)

   a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters

2. tattoo(noun)

   a design on the skin made by tattooing

3. tattoo(verb)

   the practice of making a design on the skin by pricking and staining

4. tattoo(verb)

   stain (skin) with indelible color

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tattoo(noun)

   a beat of drum, or sound of a trumpet or bugle, at night, giving notice to soldiers to retreat, or to repair to their quarters in garrison, or to their tents in camp

2. Tattoo(verb)

   to color, as the flesh, by pricking in coloring matter, so as to form marks or figures which can not be washed out

3. Tattoo(noun)

   an indelible mark or figure made by puncturing the skin and introducing some pigment into the punctures; -- a mode of ornamentation practiced by various barbarous races, both in ancient and modern times, and also by some among civilized nations, especially by sailors

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Tattoo

   A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, "tattoo" appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour: "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humor or disposition". The word "tattoo" was brought to Europe by the explorer James Cook, when he returned in 1771 from his first voyage to Tahiti and New Zealand. In his narrative of the voyage, he refers to an operation called "tattaw". Before this it had been described as scarring, painting, or staining. Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures, particularly in Asia, and spread throughout the world. The Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan, traditionally had facial tattoos. Today, one can find Atayal, Seediq, Truku, and Saisiyat of Taiwan, Berbers of Tamazgha, Yoruba, Fulani and Hausa people of Nigeria, and Māori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tattooing spread among Polynesians and among certain tribal groups in Africa, Borneo, Cambodia, Europe, Japan, the Mentawai Islands, MesoAmerica, New Zealand, North America and South America, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Indeed, the island of Great Britain takes its name from tattooing; Britons translates as "people of the designs", and Picts, the peoples who originally inhabited the northern part of Britain, literally means "the painted people". Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the practice continues to be popular in many parts of the world.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tattoo

   tat-tōō′, n. a beat of drum and a bugle-call to call soldiers to quarters, originally to shut the taps or drinking-houses against them.—The devil's tattoo, the act of drumming with the fingers on a table, &c.; in absence of mind or impatience. [Dut. taptoe—tap, a tap, and toe, which is the prep., Eng. to. Ger. zu, in the sense of 'shut.']

2. Tattoo

   tat-tōō′, v.t. to mark permanently (as the skin) with figures, by pricking in colouring-matter.—n. marks or figures made by pricking colouring-matter into the skin.—ns. Tattoo′āge; Tattoo′er; Tattoo′ing. [Tahitian tatu.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tattoo

   The act, art or process of using a type of device to insert a specific type of ink into a layer of the skin to create a design, image, picture, text or writing on the skin of a human being.

   She chose to get a tattoo on her leg to symbolize something personal to her.

   Submitted by MC Harmonious on January 21, 2017  

How to pronounce tattoo?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say tattoo in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tattoo in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tattoo in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of tattoo in a Sentence

1. Elvis Lewis:

   I did a neck tattoo, i tattooed the man. I received money for my services.

2. Tom Zegan:

   Having a body tattoo is like wearing the same shirt everyday for the rest of your life.

3. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   The tattoo of the History is permanent; once a nation or a man is marked by this tattoo, erasing is impossible.

4. Akram Al Deek:

   A committee was put together to question why I have a tattoo and why I have it publicly on Facebook, it was seen as a bad image to influence the students.

5. Michael Joseph:

   He had an interesting anchor tattoo on his face and he had a very distinct look about him for a hitchhiker, he gave me 20 to 30 minutes but I never got his story.

Images & Illustrations of tattoo

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