taboo art (tattoo art)

The origin of the word "tattoo" is from the Samoan word tatau, meaning "open wound." .[1] instrument used to pierce the skin in Polynesian tattooing is called a hahau, the syllable "ha" meaning to "strike or pierce".[citation needed]
The OED gives the etymology of tattoo as "In 18th c. tattaow, tattow. From Polynesian (Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan, etc.) tatau. In Marquesan, tatu." Englishmen mispronounced the word tatau and borrowed it into popular usage as tattoo.[2] Sailors on the voyage later introduced both the word and reintroduced the concept of tattooing to Europe.[3]]
In Japanese the most common word used for traditional designs is, "Horimono".
The traditional Japanese hand method is called, "Tebori".
The word, "Irezumi," simply means, "insertion of ink," and could mean tattoos using Tebori, or Western style machine, (or for that matter, any method of tattooing using insertion of ink).
Japanese may use the word "tattoo" to mean non-Japanese styles of tattooing.
Tattoo enthusiasts may refer to tattoos as "Tats", "Ink", "Art", or "Work", and to tattooists as "Artists". The latter usage is gaining greater support, with mainstream art galleries holding exhibitions of both traditional and custom tattoo designs. Copyrighted tattoo designs that are mass-produced to tattoo artists are known as flash, a notable instance of industrial design. Flash sheets are prominently displayed in many tattoo parlors for the purpose of providing both inspiration and ready-made tattoo images to customers