Teardrop tattoo

The teardrop tattoo or tear tattoo is a symbolic tattoo of a tear that is placed underneath the eye. The teardrop is one of the most widely recognised prison tattoos^[1] and has various meanings.

It can signify that the wearer has spent time in prison,^[2][3] or more specifically that the wearer was raped while incarcerated and tattooed by the rapist as a "property" mark and for humiliation, since facial tattoos cannot be concealed.^[4][5][6][7]

The tattoo is sometimes worn by the female companions of prisoners in solidarity with their loved ones.^[8] Amy Winehouse had a teardrop drawn on her face in eyeliner after her husband Blake entered the Pentonville prison hospital following a suspected drug overdose.^[9]

It can acknowledge the loss of a friend or family member: Basketball player Amar'e Stoudemire has had a teardrop tattoo since 2012 honouring his older brother Hazell Jr., who died in a car accident.^[10]

In West Coast United States gang culture, the tattoo may signify that the wearer has killed someone^[11][12] and in some of those circles, the tattoo's meaning can change: an empty outline meaning the wearer attempted murder.

Sometimes the exact meaning of the tattoo is known only by the wearer^[12][13] as in the case of Portuguese footballer Ricardo Quaresma, who has never explained his teardrop tattoos.^[14]