tattoo
tattoo
UK[təˈtuː]US[tæˈtuː]
n
a permanent image, pattern, or word on the skin created by using needles to put colors under the skin
n
a military display or exercise of troops, often with music, held in the evening
v
to mark someone's skin with a tattoo
Etymology
the word 'tattoo' has a dual etymology, representing two distinct words that converged in spelling. the term for body art entered english in the 18th century from polynesian languages, specifically tahitian 'tatau' and samoan 'tatau', meaning 'to mark'. the military term, referring to a signal for soldiers to return to quarters, derives from the early 17th century dutch 'taptoe', literally meaning 'close the tap' (of the cask), a command for innkeepers to stop serving drinks so soldiers would return to camp. the identical spelling of these two unrelated words is a historical coincidence, with the body art meaning eventually becoming overwhelmingly dominant in modern usage.
Analysis
the word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in modern english. it does not contain separable morphemes based on its current spelling.
Examples
the sailor had an elaborate tattoo of an anchor on his forearm.
the evening tattoo featured bagpipe music and marching soldiers.
she decided to tattoo a small star on her ankle.