Definition of tattoo

• n. - A beat of drum, or sound of a trumpet or bugle, at night, giving notice to soldiers to retreat, or to repair to their quarters in garrison, or to their tents in camp.
• v. t. - To color, as the flesh, by pricking in coloring matter, so as to form marks or figures which can not be washed out.
• n. - An indelible mark or figure made by puncturing the skin and introducing some pigment into the punctures; -- a mode of ornamentation practiced by various barbarous races, both in ancient and modern times, and also by some among civilized nations, especially by sailors.