English Online Dictionary. What means tattoo? What does tattoo mean?
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tæˈtuː/, /təˈtuː/
- (US, General Australian) IPA(key): [tʰæˈtʰuː]
- (UK) IPA(key): [tʰaˈtʰuː]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): [tʰæˈɾuː]
- Rhymes: -uː
Etymology 1
From earlier tattaow, tattow, a borrowing from a Polynesian language, e.g. Samoan tatau (“tattoo; to tap, to strike”).
Noun
tattoo (plural tattoos or (uncommon) tattooes)
- An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
- A method of decorating the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
tattoo (third-person singular simple present tattoos, present participle tattooing, simple past and past participle tattooed)
- To apply a tattoo to (someone or something).
- (baseball) To hit the ball hard, as if to figuratively leave a tattoo on the ball.
Derived terms
- screwed, blued and tattooed
- screwed, glued and tattooed
Derived terms
Translations
Further reading
- tattoo on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2
From earlier tap-to, borrowed from Dutch taptoe, from tap (“tap; faucet on a cask”) + toe (“to; shut”). More at tap, to.
Noun
tattoo (countable and uncountable, plural tattoos)
- (nautical) A signal played five minutes before taps (lights out).
- (military) A signal by drum or bugle ordering soldiers to return to their quarters.
- (military) A military display or pageant.
Translations
See also
Verb
tattoo (third-person singular simple present tattoos, present participle tattooing, simple past and past participle tattooed)
- To tap rhythmically on, to drum.
Further reading
- military tattoo on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 3
From Hindi टट्टू (ṭaṭṭū).
Noun
tattoo (plural tattoos)
- A pony of a certain breed from India.
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English tattoo.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /taːˈtu/, /tɑˈtu/, /ˈtɑ.tu/
- Hyphenation: tat‧too
Noun
tattoo m (plural tattoos)
- tattoo
- Synonyms: tatoeage, tatoeëring