Meaning of Tattoo

Different people have different opinions about the meaning of the word, tattoo. According to many, the word reminds of the sounds made by the tattooing machine while making tattoos on the skin of those being tattooed. Then, there is another school of thought which says that the name tattoo is derived from the Polynesian word "ta" which means striking something. It is interesting to note that in England the word tattoo was common much before the voyage of Cook. In England the word tattoo was used to describe the beating of military drums. As both the words have their roots in Latin for marking the action of striking or beating, over the years they might have got rolled into one.