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
Fine-line tiger print details look especially good over a gold cat-eye base—sleek, striking, and just the right amount of untamed.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 17 June 2026
Here, rose-gold links are ringed with tiger’s eye chosen for the strength of its striations—the first time since the 1970s that the Maison has paired gold links with an ornamental stone.
—Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
This tiger red balayage on a brunette base is as cheerful as a sunny day.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Talbot said the silk ceilings and walls in the content room tie the store back to its top-performing silk dresses, while custom tiger and leopard fabrics were inspired by some of Réalisation’s signature prints.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Amanda Le, InStyle, 17 June 2026
Here, rose-gold links are ringed with tiger’s eye chosen for the strength of its striations—the first time since the 1970s that the Maison has paired gold links with an ornamental stone.
—Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
This tiger red balayage on a brunette base is as cheerful as a sunny day.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Talbot said the silk ceilings and walls in the content room tie the store back to its top-performing silk dresses, while custom tiger and leopard fabrics were inspired by some of Réalisation’s signature prints.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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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