tiger

noun ti·ger \ ˈtī-gər \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 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

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tigerishness

noun

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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

Despite his popularity, Daniel is something of a misfit, as tigers go: a docile, people-loving creature who lives inside a cuckoo clock.

— robert ito, New York Times, "Fred Rogers’s Life in 5 Artifacts," 5 June 2018
The property includes a smart home system and flooring made of marble, cherry and tiger throughout.

— shannon rooney, Philly.com, "It's Shore time: Some of the most expensive homes on the Brigantine market," 4 June 2018
Many won’t actually feel the sprain in the thick of the moment since your brain senses the greater danger presented by the tiger.

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "Science Explains How the Iceman Resists Extreme Cold," 23 May 2018
The school posted videos of the tiger's appearance at prom on its Instagram account, which have since been deleted.

— paul p. murphy, CNN, "Prom under investigation after live tiger performance," 14 May 2018
CBS Miami writes that the school said the hotel approved the tiger's appearance.

— CBS News, "Students, parents outraged by caged tiger at high school prom in Miami," 13 May 2018
From a fashion perspective, there’s practically nothing exceptional about this outfit, especially in 2018, where the man with the most technicolor tigers embroidered on his outerwear wins.

— cam wolf, GQ, "This Might Be the Most Influential Menswear Outfit in Movie History," 7 Apr. 2018
All of the other animals, most of them carnivorous exotics like tigers and lions and bears, were killed by police.

— Longreads, "Wild At Heart," 17 May 2018
Students, parents and teachers from Christopher Columbus High School took to social media to say that the tiger at Friday's prom was animal abuse.

— CBS News, "Florida high school regrets displaying caged tiger at prom," 14 May 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