What does tattoo mean?
A tattoo is a design or mark permanently placed beneath the skin by injecting pigment, usually to create a decorative image, symbol, or pattern. Its use can be artistic, personal, cultural, commemorative, or practical, and many people wear tattoos to express identity, affiliation, memory, or aesthetic taste. As a verb, tattoo means to make such a mark; it can also describe something being permanently impressed on a person or place, as in the idea of tattooing a name on one’s body or reputation. The word is common in both British and American English, though "tattoo parlour" is especially associated with British usage and "tattoo parlor" with American usage. Tattoos have also been used for identification and for marking people or objects, giving the word a broader history beyond modern decorative body art. The term is culturally significant because tattoos have long served as visual records of identity, belonging, status, and personal history in many societies.
A permanent design or mark made by inserting pigment into the skin. The word can also refer to the act or practice of tattooing.
"Her first tattoo was a small symbol on her wrist."
Common in both British and American English.
To make a permanent mark on the skin by inserting pigment beneath it. Figuratively, it means to imprint something permanently.
"The artist tattooed a stylized bird on his shoulder."
The literal sense is standard; figurative uses emphasize permanence or conspicuous display.
The standard plural of the noun.
"The sleeves of his jacket were covered with tattoos."
The word tattoo preserves a remarkable record of Polynesian voyaging culture, reaching English through Tahitian tatau after European contact with the Pacific.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of tattoo
The English word entered usage in the late eighteenth century from Polynesian, especially Tahitian tatau, a term associated with the practice of marking the body. The form is related to cognates in other Polynesian languages, including Māori tātou and Hawaiian kākau, although the ultimate origin of the underlying Proto-Polynesian word is uncertain. Over time, tattoo developed meanings for both the permanent mark itself and the act or practice of making one.
Related word forms
How tattoo is actually used
The word is neutral in modern English and is used for artistic, decorative, symbolic, and practical body marking. The verb can also have a figurative use, especially in expressions involving names, identities, or messages that are permanently displayed.
Easily confused with tattoo
A tattoo is the design or mark itself, while tattooed describes someone or something that bears one, as in "tattooed arms."