tattoo

tattoo — 名詞

1. a permanent picture, pattern, or piece of writing that is made on a person's ski

1.名詞B1
釋義

刺青；紋身

用針將顏料刺入皮膚的永久圖案

a permanent picture, pattern, or piece of writing that is made on a person's skin using a needle to push coloured ink beneath the surface; temporary sticker-like designs that look similar are also called tattoos.

例句

A large eagle tattoo covers the whole of Rafael's back.

Rafael 的整個背上覆蓋著一個巨大的老鷹刺青。

adjective + tattoo to describe size/subject

The artist spent three hours working on the dragon tattoo on Trang's arm.

那位師傅花了三個小時為 Trang 的手臂畫龍的紋身。

同義詞
  • body art

    broader term that includes tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications

  • ink

    informal slang for a tattoo, common in casual conversation

文法句型

a/the tattoo

adjective + tattoo

用法筆記

Can be modified by 'temporary' to refer to a sticker-like design that lasts days or weeks, as opposed to a permanent tattoo. The phrase 'get a tattoo' is the most common way to talk about receiving one.

常見錯誤

❌She has a big tattoo on her skin body.
✅She has a big tattoo on her arm.
💡'skin' is already implied by 'tattoo'; state the body part directly.
❌I want to make a tattoo.
✅I want to get a tattoo.
💡The correct verb is 'get' or 'have done', not 'make'.

2. an outdoor public event where soldiers perform marching, play music, and carry o

2.名詞C1
釋義

軍樂表演

包含行進與音樂的戶外軍事表演

an outdoor public event where soldiers perform marching, play music, and carry out military exercises, often as evening entertainment.

例句

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo attracts thousands of visitors each summer.

愛丁堡軍樂表演每年夏天吸引成千上萬的遊客。

proper noun with Military Tattoo for specific events

Joon watched the tattoo at the army base with his grandfather.

Joon 和祖父在軍營觀看了那場軍樂表演。

同義詞

文法句型

a/the tattoo

the [name] Military Tattoo

用法筆記

Often capitalized (Military Tattoo) when referring to a specific named event. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the most famous example. This sense has no connection to skin decoration.

常見錯誤

❌We went to see a tattoo on his arm at the show.
✅We went to see the Military Tattoo at the castle.
💡The military performance sense is a completely different word from the skin-marking sense.

3. a rapid, repeated beat on a drum, especially one used in military settings to si

3.名詞C1
釋義

鼓聲信號

快速連續的擊鼓聲，尤指軍事信號

a rapid, repeated beat on a drum, especially one used in military settings to signal soldiers or announce the start of an event.

例句

The drummer played a sharp tattoo to call the soldiers back to camp.

鼓手敲出一段急促的鼓聲信號，命令士兵返回營地。

play a tattoo + drumming context

A loud tattoo on the drum told everyone the ceremony was about to start.

一陣響亮的鼓聲告訴大家典禮即將開始。

同義詞
  • drumbeat

    more general; does not carry the military-signal implication

  • rat-a-tat

    onomatopoeic, more informal

文法句型

a/the tattoo

beat/play a tattoo

用法筆記

This sense is historically related to the 'military show' sense (both derive from a signal to return to quarters). It is rarely used in everyday conversation today outside of historical or literary contexts.

tattoo — 動詞