| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| tattoo1 |
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| SYLLABICATION: | tat·too |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  t -t  |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. tat·toos
1. A signal sounded on a drum or bugle to summon soldiers or sailors to their quarters at night. 2. A display of military exercises offered as evening entertainment. 3. A continuous, even drumming or rapping. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: tat·tooed, tat·too·ing, tat·toos
| | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | To beat out an even rhythm, as with the fingers. | | TRANSITIVE VERB: | To beat or tap rhythmically on; rap or drum on. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Alteration of Dutch taptoe, tap-shut (closing time for taverns), tattoo : tap, spigot, tap (from Middle Dutch tappe) + toe, shut (from Middle Dutch; see de- in Appendix I).
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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