Main Entry:

ti·ger

Pronunciation:

\ˈtī-gər\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural tigers

Etymology:

Middle English tigre, from Old English tiger & Anglo-French tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Greek, probably of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan tighra- pointed; akin to Greek stizein to tattoo — more at stick

Date:

before 12th century

1plural also tiger a: a large Asian carnivorous mammal (Panthera tigris) of the cat family having a usually tawny coat transversely striped with black b: any of several large wildcats (as the jaguar or cougar) c: a domestic cat with striped pattern dAustralian : tasmanian tiger2 a: a fierce, daring, or aggressive person or quality <aroused the tiger in him> <a tiger for work> b: one (as a situation) that is formidable or impossible to control <how the tiger of inflation can be tamed — J. A. Davenport> —often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail3British : a groom in livery

— ti·ger·ish \-g(ə-)rish\ adjective

— ti·ger·ish·ly adverb

— ti·ger·ish·ness noun

— ti·ger·like \-gər-ˌlīk\ adjective

[tiger illustration]