Meaning & use
tat or tatt
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableinformalslang
A tattoo.
Grammar: Countable; plural is tats or tatts.
Patterns
- get a tat
- have a tat
He got a new tat on his arm last weekend.
She showed me her tatt, a small star on her wrist.
Tats are popular among young people these days.
Word forms
| plural | tats |
|---|---|
| plural | tatts |
Common combinations
- get a tat
- He decided to get a tat to remember his trip.
- small tat
- She has a small tat behind her ear.
- tattoo parlor
- They went to a tattoo parlor to get matching tats.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- tattoo noun
- A permanent design made on the skin with ink and needles.
Commonly confused: tat or tatt or tat?
tat or tatt vs tat
Tat also means cheap, tasteless decorations or junk; context makes clear which meaning is intended.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tat' correctly to mean a tattoo?
Choose one answer.
The answer 'He got a tat on his shoulder' uses 'tat' as an informal word for a tattoo. Option A uses 'tat' to mean cheap decorations, which is a different sense. Option C is unlikely because tattoos are usually not described as expensive in this slang sense. Option D uses 'tat' as a verb meaning to make lace, which is a different word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tat or tatt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.