<P> The teardrop tattoo or tear tattoo is a symbolic tattoo of a tear that is placed underneath the eye . The tattoo can have various meanings: it can signify that the wearer has killed someone or has spent time in prison; that the wearer was raped while incarcerated and tattooed with a tear drop below the eye by the offending party and his accomplices, or it can acknowledge the loss of a family or fellow gang member . Sometimes, only the wearer will know the exact meaning of the tattoo . The tattoo's meaning also can change depending on whether the tear is empty or is filled with ink . </P> <P> The tattoo is sometimes worn by the female companions of prisoners in solidarity with their loved ones . According to The Devil's Front Porch, a book written by Lester Douglas Johnson about serving 1927 to 1957 in Kansas State Penitentiary; the tattoo denoted a member of "The Old Fraternity"; referring to the Biblical Cain who slew his brother . </P>

What's the meaning of teardrop tattoos under the eyes