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tattoo

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tattoo¹

  • /tæˈtu/ US
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] ~ [tʰæˈtʰʉw] US
  • /tæˈtuː/ UK
  • /təˈtuː/ UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰʊw] UK
  • [tʰaˈtʰʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • [tʰaʔʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • /tæˈtʉː/ Australia
  • [tʰæˈɾʉw] Australia
  • [tʰæˈtʰʉw] Australia
  • /tæˈtu/ Canada
  • [t(ʰ)aˈtʰʉː] Canada
  • /təˈtu/ Canada
  • [tɐˈɾ̥uː] Canada
  • [tətːˈʉː] Canada

Rhymes with -uː

Where it comes from

From earlier tattaow, tattow, a borrowing from a Polynesian language, e.g. Samoan tatau (“tattoo; to tap, to strike”).

noun tattoos · tattooes

  1. An image made on a body part, usually the skin with ink and a needle. His shirt sleeves were turned up, so upon his brawny arms his tattooes were visible.
  2. A method of decorating a body part, usually the skin, by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

verb tattoos · tattooing · tattooed

  1. To apply a tattoo to (someone or something). She made Silas tattoo an anchor on her arm like his
  2. 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.

tattoo²

  • /tæˈtu/ US
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] ~ [tʰæˈtʰʉw] US
  • /tæˈtuː/ UK
  • /təˈtuː/ UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰʊw] UK
  • [tʰaˈtʰʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • [tʰaʔʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • /tæˈtʉː/ Australia
  • [tʰæˈɾʉw] Australia
  • [tʰæˈtʰʉw] Australia
  • /tæˈtu/ Canada
  • [t(ʰ)aˈtʰʉː] Canada
  • /təˈtu/ Canada
  • [tɐˈɾ̥uː] Canada
  • [tətːˈʉː] Canada

Rhymes with -uː

Where it comes from

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

noun tattoos

  1. countable, uncountable A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out). Study goes on until tattoo, which, when Pops was at the Point, was sounded at 9.30, followed by taps at 10.
  2. countable, uncountable A signal by drum or bugle ordering soldiers to return to their quarters. The bumblebee's mane glowed in the morning light—each hair sharp and distinct to Eragon—and its blurred wings generated a gentle bombilation, like a tattoo played on a drum.
  3. countable, uncountable A military display or pageant.
  4. countable, uncountable A rhythmic tapping. the right hand became restless and began to beat out a silent tattoo upon the tabletop

verb tattoos · tattooing · tattooed

  1. To tap rhythmically on, to drum. 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 […]

tattoo³

  • /tæˈtu/ US
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] ~ [tʰæˈtʰʉw] US
  • /tæˈtuː/ UK
  • /təˈtuː/ UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰuː] UK
  • [tʰæˈtʰʊw] UK
  • [tʰaˈtʰʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • [tʰaʔʉw] British, Southern, Standard
  • /tæˈtʉː/ Australia
  • [tʰæˈɾʉw] Australia
  • [tʰæˈtʰʉw] Australia
  • /tæˈtu/ Canada
  • [t(ʰ)aˈtʰʉː] Canada
  • /təˈtu/ Canada
  • [tɐˈɾ̥uː] Canada
  • [tətːˈʉː] Canada

Rhymes with -uː

Where it comes from

From Hindi टट्टू (ṭaṭṭū).

noun tattoos · tattu

  1. A pony of a certain breed from India.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: ink, art, mark, carousel, recovery, tat, tatoo, tatu, inking, intaglio, tantoo, imprint, inkdot, inkline, sympathetic ink, touch

Translations

Every language

noun an image made in the skin with ink and a needle

Españoltatuaje
한국어문신 munsin, 타투 tatu
日本語刺青, 入れ墨 irezumi, 文身 irezumi, タトゥー tatū
中文紋身 /纹身 wénshēn, 文身 wénshēn, 刺青 cìqīng
हिन्दीगोदना godnā
Portuguêstatuagem
Françaistatouage
DeutschTätowierung, Tattoo
Italianotatuaggio
Ελληνικάτατουάζ tatouáz, κατάστιξη katástixi
Românătatuaj
Русскийтатуиро́вка tatuiróvka, нако́лка nakólka, тату́ tatú
Tiếng Việtxăm
العربيةوَشْم wašm
עבריתכְּתוֹבֶת קַעֲקַע któvet qa'qá'

noun method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface

中文刺青 cìqīng, 文身 wénshēn
DeutschTätowieren
Ελληνικάδερματοστιξία dermatostixía
Русскийтатуи́рование tatuírovanije

verb to apply a tattoo

Españoltatuar
中文刺青 cìqīng, 刺 cì, 文身 wénshēn
Portuguêstatuar
Françaistatouer
Deutschtätowieren
Italianotatuare
Ελληνικάστίζω stízo
Românătatua
Русскийтатуи́ровать tatuírovatʹ, вы́татуировать výtatuirovatʹ
العربيةوَشَمَ wašama, وَشَّمَ waššama

noun time to close the taps

DeutschZapfenstreich

noun signal

Españolretreta
DeutschZapfenstreich
Ελληνικάτυμπανοκρουσία tympanokrousía

noun military display or pageant

Españolparada
日本語タトゥー tatū
DeutschGroßer Zapfenstreich

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"tattoo." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tattoo. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

tattoo. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tattoo

Chicago

"tattoo." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tattoo.

BibTeX
@misc{tattoo_2026,
  title = {tattoo},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tattoo},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}