From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtattootat‧too1 /təˈtuː, tæˈtuː/ noun (plural tattoos) 1 [countable]DC 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]AP an outdoor military show with music, usually at night3 [singular]CSPMSOUND a fast continuous beating of a drum, or a sound like this
Examples from the Corpus
tattoo• I had the feeling Ted might have gotten a tattoo or something, made some drastic alteration in himself.• a tattoo of a lion• But tattoos are only skin deep.• He emphatically is not advocating parents to go along with kids' desires for tattoos.• The couple had their his'n' hers tattoos done during their stormy three-year marriage.• He was probably smothered in tattoos, for heaven's sake!• As well as treatment of port wine stains, other lasers can be used to remove tattoos or in surgery.• He also taught them the arts of circumcision and sub-incision, used to produce the traditional tattoos sported by Aranda menfolk.tattootattoo2 verb [transitive] DCto 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→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
tattoo• There is a wild-eyed man whose face is completely tattooed.• He was a skinhead, and had a line of swastikas tattooed around his neck.• Clooney is the darkly handsome one with the motorcycle boots and the black flames tattooed on his neck.• And bullets would start flying, tattooing walls and bodies.• The man's cheeks were tattooed with little vermilion chalices brimming with gore.Origin tattoo1 1. (1700-1800) Tahitian tatau2. (1600-1700) Dutch taptoe, from tap toe! “taps shut!” 