a teardrop tattoo means: Some will even foolishly get these tattoos thinking it will earn them respect. Many will foolishly purchase these tattoos thinking they will gain respect from ex-*** and lifers. It just never happens. Crying is frowned upon by the penitentiary, except in very limited circumstances. It’s considered a sign weakness. The prisoner spectrum is divided into murderer and victim. In reality, you would not cry after killing someone, or being raped. People who feel bad for themselves get tattoos thinking that it will make others feel better. (in Slang Dictionary, added by Ascensión Díaz)
What else does a teardrop tattoo mean?
- The tattoo signifies that the victim was raped while in prison. This tattoo is a representation of the pain they experienced while inside. (in Slang Dictionary, added by Jalen Hawkins)
- Johnny Depp’s role in Crybaby made it famous. This is the tattoo that shows a teardrop under one’s eyes on each side. It was originally placed in prison as a sign that the bearer was a prisoner. The prison term for “there *****” is A teardrop is used to signify the humiliation and pain one might feel when “turned out” of prison. To further humiliate and mark the victim, the tattoo is applied to their face. Many would claim that the tattoo was obtained because of their killing a prisoner. They were not wrong to say this as their act of submissiveness of being another man’s “*****”, could be seen as the death or destruction of their manhood. They had unwittingly made themselves a prey target of predators, if ever they went to jail. (in Slang Dictionary, added by Alma Moran)
