tattoo

/tæˈtuː/

also: ink  |  piece  |  work

noun & verb

Permanent ink driven beneath the skin — part ritual, part rebellion, part autobiography. Not decoration. Declaration.

origin

From the Polynesian tatau — "to strike, to mark." Brought west by sailors on Cook's 1769 voyage to Tahiti. The word arrived late. The art never needed an introduction.

see also

flash tattoo  ·  hand poke  ·  tattoer  ·  collector