Tat
/tæt/noun
An informal abbreviation for a tattoo.
Did you know?European awareness of tattooing surged after Captain Cook’s voyages, when sailors recorded the Tahitian practice called tatau and helped spread the word tattoo through English.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 18th Century
Tahitian
tatau
“To mark or strike repeatedly; the traditional Polynesian practice of permanently marking the skin.”
1769
English
tattow
“An early English form recorded in accounts of Pacific voyages, referring to a permanent design made on the skin.”
18th Century
English
tattoo
“A permanent mark or design made by inserting pigment into the skin.”
20th Century
English
tat
“An informal shortened form of tattoo, especially in British usage.”
Modern English
English
tat
“Slang for a tattoo.”