1. (n.) A beat of drum, or sound of a trumpet or bugle, at night, giving notice to soldiers to retreat, or to repair to their quarters in garrison, or to their tents in camp.

2. (v. t.) To color, as the flesh, by pricking in coloring matter, so as to form marks or figures which can not be washed out.

3. (n.) An indelible mark or figure made by puncturing the skin and introducing some pigment into the punctures; -- a mode of ornamentation practiced by various barbarous races, both in ancient and modern times, and also by some among civilized nations, especially by sailors.

band bang bar barrage bash bat bay beat beating beep belt bespangle bespeckle bespot biff birthmark blare blast blat blaze blaze a trail blemish blotch blow bonk bowshot brand bray bullet cannon caste mark ceaselessness chalk chalk up chattering check check off checker checkmark chop cicatrix cicatrize clip clout clump constancy constant flow continualness continuity crack cut dapple dash define delimit demarcate detonation dig dint discharge discolor discoloration dot drizzle drub drubbing drum drum music drumbeat drumfire drumming earmark ejection engrave engraving fall fanfare flake fleck flick flourish of trumpets flutter freckle fusillade gash graving gun gunfire gunshot hack harlequin hatch hit honk impress imprint incessancy iris jab jot knock lentigo lick line macula maculate make a mark marble marbleize mark mark off mark out marking mizzle mole motley mottle nevus nick noninterruption notch oscillation palpitation paradiddle patch patter peal pelt pencil pepper perpetuity pitapat pitter-patter plunk point poke polka dot polychrome polychromize potshot pound pounding pour pour with rain precipitate prick print pulsation punch punctuate puncture quick fire rain rain tadpoles rainbow rap rapid fire rapid recurrence rapid succession rapidity rat-a-tat rat-tat rat-tat-tat rataplan rattattoo regularity repetition riddle roll rub-a-dub ruff ruffle salvo scar scarification scarify score scotch scratch scratching seal seam shot shower shower down shriek slam slog slug smack smash sock spangle spatter speck speckle spit splash splotch splutter spot spray sprinkle sputter squeal staccato stain stamp steadiness stigma stigmatize stipple stoneshot strawberry mark streak stream striate stripe stroke stud stuttering sustainment swat swing swipe tantara tantarara taps tarantara tat-tat tattoo mark tessellate throb throbbing thrum thump thumping thwack tick tick off tittle tom-tom toot tootle trace trumpet trumpet blast trumpet call tweedle underline underscore unintermission uninterruption variegate