tiger

noun

ti·​ger ˈtī-gər How to pronounce tiger (audio)
plural tigers
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 (such as the jaguar or cougar)
c
: a domestic cat with striped pattern
d
Australia : tasmanian tiger
2
a
: a fierce, daring, or aggressive person or quality
aroused the tiger in him
a tiger for work
b
: someone or something (such as a situation) that is formidable or impossible to control
how the tiger of inflation can be tamedJ. A. Davenport
often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
3
British : a groom in livery
tigerish adjective
tigerishly adverb
tigerishness noun
tigerlike adjective

Illustration of tiger

Illustration of tiger
  • tiger 1a

Examples of tiger in a Sentence

He was a tiger on the basketball court. even the best defense can't keep that tiger from scoring
Recent Examples on the Web Over 3,000 animals call Zoo Miami their home, including koalas, tigers, and elephants in large open-air exhibits. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 Built in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff, who made the carousel for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk two years later, Spokane’s merry-go-round offers 54 horses, a giraffe, a tiger and two Chinese dragon chairs and, of course, a brass ring. Amber Turpin, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Revelers, some of whom will be ferried in on charter flights from New Delhi and Mumbai, will also visit Anant’s passion project — an animal rescue and rehabilitation center housing hundreds of elephants, crocodiles, tigers and lions. Anto Antony, Fortune Asia, 1 Mar. 2024 Smith’s fish is just shy of the longest tiger trout on record in the state. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024 Pastry chain Tiger Attitude, which charged 20 yuan for goodies such as its social media-friendly tiger rolls, had backers like HongShan, formerly Sequoia China. Subrat Patnaik, Bloomberg.com, 22 Feb. 2024 Highlights of her menu include crispy soft-shell crab and her iconic tigre qui pleure (crying tiger) spicy beef dish. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2024 The twelve zodiac animals include a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, pig and dog. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Zodiac animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiger was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tiger

Cite this Entry

“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tiger

noun
ti·​ger ˈtī-gər How to pronounce tiger (audio)
plural tigers also tiger
1
: a large Asian flesh-eating mammal of the same family as the domestic cat with a coat that is typically light brown to orange with mostly vertical black stripes
2
: any of several large wildcats (as the jaguar or cougar)
3
: a domestic cat with a striped coat

More from Merriam-Webster on tiger

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