tiger

ti·ger

noun \ˈtī-gər\

plural tigers

Definition of TIGER

1

plural 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

d Australian : tasmanian tiger

2

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 tail

3

British : 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

Examples of TIGER

1. He was a tiger on the basketball court.
2. <even the best defense can't keep that tiger from scoring>

Illustration of TIGER

Origin of TIGER

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to TIGER

Synonyms

barracuda, fire-breather, fire-eater, pit bull

Antonyms

milquetoast

Related Words

attack dog, hatchet man; aggressor, bully, shark; go-getter, hustler, live wire, self-starter; battler, fighter, scrapper; diehard, militant

Near Antonyms

pushover, pussycat, reed, softy (or softie), weakling, wimp

Rhymes with TIGER

Eiger

tiger

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Reddish tan, striped great cat (Panthera tigris) of forests, grasslands, and swamps in eastern Russia, South Asia, Sumatra, and a few small parts of China. Tigers are solitary, nocturnal hunters, preying on medium-sized mammals (e.g., deer). Locality and subspecies determine size, colour, and stripes. Southern tigers, such as the Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris), are smaller and more brightly coloured than northern ones, such as the rare Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica). Males grow to more than 3 ft (1 m) high and 7 ft (2.2 m) long, excluding the 3-ft (1-m) tail, and may weigh 350–640 lb (160–290 kg). Tigers live about 11 years. The persistent use of tiger parts as tonics or medicines, despite evidence refuting their efficacy, is rooted in the awe that the cat has inspired for millennia. Although internationally protected, tigers are seriously endangered; their populations shrank by more than 90% in the last century, and three subspecies are now extinct.