A sleeve tattoo (or tattoo sleeve ) is a large tattoo, or a collection of smaller tattoos, that has a unified theme, that covers most or all of a person 's arm, usually from shoulder to wrist.
There is a difference between an arm covered in tattoos and a sleeve tattoo. A sleeve tattoo has a unified theme, whereas an arm covered in tattoos may have many tattoos of different styles that does not have an overall unity.
The term " sleeve " is a reference to the tattoo 's size similarity in coverage to a long shirt sleeve on an article of clothing. In this manner, the term is also used as a verb; for example, "getting sleeved" means to have one's entire arm tattooed. The term is also sometimes used in reference to a large leg tattoo that covers a person 's leg in a similar manner.
Half-sleeves or quarter-sleeves are tattoos that cover only part of an arm, usually above the elbow, but can also be found below the elbow. A sleeve implies complete tattoo coverage of a particular area, so a half sleeve is a tattoo that covers the entire upper or lower arm. A "quarter sleeve " usually covers the area of skin from the shoulder midway to the elbow.
