tattoo
tat·too (ta to̵̅o̅′)
transitive verb tattooed -·tooed′, tattooing -·too′·ing
- to puncture (the skin) with a needle and insert indelible colors so as to leave permanent marks or designs
- to make (marks or designs) on the skin in this way
Etymology: < a Polynesian language < Proto-Polynesian *tatau
noun pl. tattoos -·toos′
tat·too (ta to̵̅o̅′)
noun pl. tattoos -·toos′
- a signal on a drum or bugle, summoning military personnel to their quarters at night
- in Great Britain, a military spectacle featuring music, marching, and military exercises
- any continuous drumming or rapping
Etymology: earlier taptoo < Du taptoe < tap toe, tap to (shut): a signal for closing barrooms
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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