tattoo

Examples

• All

• We'll beat a tattoo at a minute or two and a rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tattoo... and the dragon will come to the beat of the drum at a minute or two to two today... at a minute or two to two.

  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

• During the ceremony, the bugler performed the tattoo to remind the troops it was time to return.

• It's a... a military tattoo, I think.

  Upgrade (2018)

• I learned the military calls: assembly, mess, tattoo, taps, and of course the charge.

  Fiction book (1993)

• The regimental musicians beat a brisk tattoo on their drums.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The commander signaled the end of the day with the tattoo, guiding the soldiers to their quarters.

• At the military parade, the band played a tattoo that echoed through the camp as the sun set.

Synonyms

R

recall

vstattoo

• Jargon

2 8.5

A bugle call that tells soldiers to return to camp

includes return signals using a drumbeat as well as a bugle tune

B

bugle call

vstattoo

2 5.6

A short tune that someone plays on a bugle to signal a time or event

is specifically for calling personnel back to their quarters rather than any time signal

Compounds

A

armpiece tattoo

7.0

A large picture or design made with ink on the skin of the arm

Surface Forms

Etymology