tiger

noun ti·ger \ ˈtī-gər \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

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 \ˈtī-g(ə-)rish\ adjective

—

tigerishly

adverb

—

tigerishness

noun

—

tigerlike

play \ˈtī-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

In one outstanding portion, Coco jumps on Puro, her meowing tiger pet, and runs across China's Great Wall to avoid all manner of enemies, including beautiful but mischievous dragon kites.

— harold goldberg, chicagotribune.com, "Classic games, lovingly reimagined in 'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'," 13 July 2018
Halima Aden looked very beautiful indeed in a layered tiger kaftan.

— luke leitch, Vogue, "Dolce & Gabbana’s Como Chameleons: Naomi Campbell, Halima Aden, and Maye Musk Model Alta Moda in Italy," 6 July 2018
For example, there are tomatoes growing with names like cherry chocolate sprinkles, magnolia rose and pink tiger.

— judy buchenot, Naperville Sun, "Suburban Cooks: Gardening provides inspiration," 29 June 2018
By his own admission, his alter-ego was timid Daniel Striped Tiger, a friendly tiger who wore a wristwatch, while his wife Joanne, interviewed extensively on camera in the documentary, was the inspiration for Queen Sara Saturday.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Mr. Rogers still a trusted name and neighbor to Northwest Indiana public TV," 27 June 2018
Antonella the tiger, for instance, was in bad shape with a weight problem and broken leg.

— saryn chorney, PEOPLE.com, "Five Rescued Circus Tigers Get a New Lease on Life as Retirees at U.K.'s Isle of Wight Zoo," 21 June 2018
The animals included two lions, two tigers, a bear and a jaguar.

— deutsche welle, USA TODAY, "Animals including lions, tigers, bear and jaguar break out of German zoo," 1 June 2018
The animals included two lions, two tigers, a bear and a jaguar, according to several news reports.

— robert rhoden, NOLA.com, "La. black bear makes himself at home in city of Winnfield: report," 1 June 2018
In a brief but dramatic episode, two lions, two tigers, a jaguar and a bear were found to be missing from their enclosures in a zoo in western Germany on Friday, prompting a major search by police, the fire brigade, and veterinarians.

— new york times, BostonGlobe.com, "Zoo escape grips Germany," 1 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

tiger Synonyms

TIGER Defined for English Language Learners

tiger

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