tiger

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noun ti·ger \ ˈtī-gər \

Definition of tiger

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

3 British :a groom in livery

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tigerish

play \-g(ə-)rish\ adjective

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tigerishly

adverb

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tigerishness

noun

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tigerlike

play \-gər-ˌlīk\ adjective

See tiger defined for English-language learners

See tiger defined for kids

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 of tiger from the Web

Abreu suspects that A. albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, which often straddles jungle and urban areas, might harbor the virus and could bridge the cycles by introducing cases into new areas.

— sam kean, Science | AAAS, "When will yellow fever strike Brazil again? Monkeys and mosquitoes hold clues," 17 Aug. 2017
The tiger was taken for safekeeping to the municipal zoo in Mexicali, Baja California’s state capital.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bengal tiger seized in Tijuana after falling from terrace," 14 Aug. 2017
Your nervous system evolved to withstand periodic bouts of stress, such as fleeing from a tiger, taking a punch or encountering an odious idea in a university lecture.

— jesse singal, Daily Intelligencer, "Stop Telling Students Free Speech Is Traumatizing Them," 18 July 2017
Researchers believe the Asian tiger mosquito’s rapid advance has been fueled by international transport of old tires and bamboo, objects that retain water, making them ideal places for mosquitoes to lay eggs.

— mark johnson, jsonline.com, "Infectious disease collides with changing climate," 24 May 2017
One of the top features of the museum is a 500,000-gallon aquarium, which has fish, sting rays and a number of different sharks, including hammerheads and a tiger shark that fascinated my son.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "The Frost Museum of Science: Tips for taking the kids," 17 May 2017
Miami tiger beetles, which can now only be found on pineland around the old base, controlled the ant population.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "In Miami suburbs, last remnants of the world’s rarest forest endure — at least for now," 4 May 2017
Before her cub, Sundari was the last tiger born at the zoo.

— nick ferraro, Twin Cities, "Tiger cub born at the Minnesota Zoo for the first time in five years," 2 May 2017
King Ezekiel and his soldiers arrived just in the nick of time—led by Ezekiel’s tiger, Shiva, who took out one of Negan’s men and provided the distraction that ultimately saved the day.

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "That Tiger Scene in the Walking Dead Finale Was a Lot Goofier in Real Life," 4 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tiger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of tiger

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

tiger Synonyms

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

TIGER Defined for English Language Learners

tiger

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noun

Definition of tiger for English Language Learners

: a large, wild cat that has a coat of usually yellow or orange fur and black stripes and that lives in Asia
: a striped cat that lives with people
: a person who is very fierce or aggressive