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Glite Dictionary
tattooer

tattooer

2 3.6
A person who makes pictures on people's skin with ink
  • noun
  • /təˈtuːər/
translation icon : tatuador
  • two tattooers

I love the the art and the designs that other tattooers were making.

Examples

  • I'll be your tattooer this afternoon.

    The Tattooist (2007)

  • I am a graphic artist and tattooer in the North Jersey metro area.

    Blog text (21)

  • (n5) Mats were used to enlist and pay indigenous specialists (tufuga) such as house and boat builders and tattooers.

    Academic text (1991)

  • My brother is an experienced tattooer who has his own shop downtown.

  • After discussing my design, I felt confident in my tattooer's skills and techniques.

  • The tattooer carefully applied the ink, ensuring that every detail was perfect.

Synonyms

tattooist
vstattooer
2 3.9

A person who makes designs on the skin with ink

is identical in meaning and job focus to that term
inkslinger
vstattooer
  • Slang
8.9

A person who makes permanent pictures on the skin with ink

refers more broadly to the job without stressing permanence or method

How Skilled

tattooer
2 3.6
novice
46 3.4

Surface Forms

tattooer singular
tattooers plural

Morphology

tattooer = tattoo (transparent) = tattoo + er

Formed from the verb 'tattoo' with the productive agentive suffix '-er'; meaning 'one who tattoos' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Tattooer comes from the Polynesian word tatau, meaning 'to mark'. Sailors brought it into English as tattoo, and the ending -er means 'person who does', so a tattooer is someone who marks skin with ink.