I. tat ‧ too 1 /təˈtuː, tæˈtuː/ BrE AmE noun ( plural tattoos )
[ Sense 1: Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: Tahitian ; Origin: tatau ]
[ Sense 2-3: Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Dutch ; Origin: taptoe , from tap toe! 'taps shut!' ]
1 . [countable] a picture or writing that is permanently marked on your skin using a needle and ink:
He has a tattoo of a snake on his left arm.
2 . [countable] an outdoor military show with music, usually at night
3 . [singular] a fast continuous beating of a drum, or a sound like this
II. tattoo 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to mark a permanent picture or writing on someone’s skin with a needle and ink:
She’s got a heart tattooed on her right shoulder.
—tattooed adjective :
heavily tattooed arms