tattoo

tat·too ¹  (t-t)

n. pl. tat·toos

1. A signal sounded on a drum or bugle to summon soldiers or sailors to their quarters at night.

2. A display of military exercises offered as evening entertainment.

3. A continuous, even drumming or rapping.

v. tat·tooed, tat·too·ing, tat·toos

v.intr.

To beat out an even rhythm, as with the fingers.

v.tr.

To beat or tap rhythmically on; rap or drum on.

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[Alteration of Dutch taptoe, tap-shut (closing time for taverns), tattoo : tap, spigot, tap (from Middle Dutch tappe) + toe, shut (from Middle Dutch; see de- in Indo-European roots).]

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tat·too ²  (t-t)

n. pl. tat·toos

1. A permanent mark or design made on the skin by a process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment or by raising scars.

2. A design made on the skin with a temporary dye such as henna or ink.

tr.v. tat·tooed, tat·too·ing, tat·toos

1. To mark (the skin) with a tattoo.

2. To form (a tattoo) on the skin.

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[Of Polynesian origin.]

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tat·tooer n.

tat·tooist n.

Word History: Although the practice of tattooing the body is very old, the English word tattoo is relatively new. The explorer Captain James Cook (who also gave us the word taboo) introduced the word to English speakers in his account of a voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771. Like taboo, tattoo comes from Polynesian languages such as Tahitian and Samoan. The earliest use of the verb tattoo in English is found in an entry for 1769 in Cook's diary. Sailors introduced the custom into Europe from the Pacific societies in which it was practiced, and it has remained associated with sailors, although many landlubbers now get tattoos as well.

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tattoo ¹

Noun

pl -toos

a picture or design made on someone's body by pricking small holes in the skin and filling them with indelible dye

Verb

[-tooing, -tooed]

to make pictures or designs on (a person's skin) by pricking and staining it with indelible colours [Tahitian tatau]

tattooed adj
tattooist n

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tattoo ²

Noun

pl -toos

1. (formerly) a signal by drum or bugle ordering soldiers to return to their quarters

2. a military display or pageant

3. any drumming or tapping [Dutch taptoe]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	tattoo - a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters bugle call - a signal broadcast by the sound of a bugle drumbeat - (military) the beating of a drum as a signal for lowering the flag at sundown armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
	2.	tattoo - a design on the skin made by tattooing pattern, design, figure - a decorative or artistic work; "the coach had a design on the doors"
	3.	tattoo - the practice of making a design on the skin by pricking and staining decoration - the act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)
Verb	1.	tattoo - stain (skin) with indelible color stain - color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"

Translations

tattoo [təˈtuː] n → tatuaje m;

(spectacle) → espectáculo militar

vt → tatuar

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tattoo [təˈtuː] n → tatouage m (= spectacle); parade f militaire

vt → tatouer

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tattoo [təˈtuː] n (on skin) → Tätowierung f;

(spectacle) → Zapfenstreich m

vt to tattoo sth on sth → etw auf etw acc tätowieren

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tattoo [təˈtuː] n → tatuaggio;

(spectacle) → parata militare

vt → tatuare

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tattoo

v tattoo [təˈtuː, (American ) tӕ-]

to make coloured patterns or pictures on part of a person's body by pricking the skin and putting in dyes The design was tattooed on his arm. tatoeëer يَضَعُ وَشْما татуирам tetovat tatovere tätowieren κάνω τατουάζ tatuar tätoveerima خال کوبی کردن tatuoida tatouer לקעקע त्वचा पर गोदना tetovirati tetovál merajah tattóvera, húðflúra tatuare 入れ墨をする 문신을 하다 tatuiruoti tetovēt tatu tatoe{#225}{#137}{#225}ren tatovere tatuować tatuar a tatua татуировать tetovať tetovirati tetovirati tatuera สักลายบนผิวหนัง dövme yapmak 紋身 татуювати گودنا xăm mình 纹身

n – plural tatˈtoos –

a design tattooed on the skin His arms were covered with tattoos. tatoeëermerk وَشْم татуировка tetování tatovering die Tätowierung τατουάζ tatuaje tätoveering خال کوبی tatuointi tatouage כְּתוֹבֶת קַעֲקַע गोदना tetovaža tetoválás rajah tattó, húðflúr tatuaggio 入れ墨 문신 tatuiruotė tetovējums mencacah tatoe{#225}{#137}{#225}ring tatovering tatuaż tatuagem tatuaj татуировка tetovanie tetovirana risba tetovaža tatuering รอยสัก dövme 紋身 татуювання گودا ہوا نقش hình xăm trên da 纹身

adj tatˈtooed

getatoeëer مُوَشَّم татуиран tetovaný tatoveret tätowiert κατάστικτος, πολύστικτος tätoveeritud خال کوبی شده tatoué לְקַעֲקֵע tetoviran tetovált berajah tattóveraður, húðflúraður tatuare 入れ墨をした 문신을 한 ištatuiruotas tetovēts bertatu getatoe{#225}{#137}{#225}erd tatovert tatuowany tatuado tatuat с татуировкой tetovaný tetoviran istetoviran tatuerad ซึ่งมีรอยสัก dövmeli 紋身的 той, що з татуюванням گودا ہوا có hình xăm 纹身的