Illustration of tiger
- tiger 1a
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 tamed—
J. A. Davenport
—often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
J. A. Davenport3
British
: a groom in livery
tigerishly
adverb
tigerishness
noun
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
Dishes arrive in rhythm—miso soup, tiger eye tempura, sushi, sashimi—and exit with velvety, matcha ice cream.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The moment the celluloid begins to reel, an inner tiger is unleashed.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
His entire back is covered with the face of a tiger.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
Many of the carousel’s 52 original animals, including 27 horses, three chariots, a dragon and a tiger, are currently being renovated by the carousels management team and its long-time manager, Bill Brown.
—David J. Bohnet, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The moment the celluloid begins to reel, an inner tiger is unleashed.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
His entire back is covered with the face of a tiger.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
Many of the carousel’s 52 original animals, including 27 horses, three chariots, a dragon and a tiger, are currently being renovated by the carousels management team and its long-time manager, Bill Brown.
—David J. Bohnet, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tiger
noun
ti·ger
ˈtī-gər 
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
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