tiger

noun

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ti·ger | \ ˈtī-gər

plural tigers

Definition of tiger

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

2a : 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

Other Words from tiger Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing tiger Learn More About tiger

Other Words from tiger

tigerish \ ˈtī-g(ə-)rish

\ adjective

tigerishly adverb

tigerishness noun

tigerlike \ ˈtī-gər-ˌlīk

\ adjective

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 The rodeo placed stringent length requirements on the shark category with an 80-inch minimum for tiger, bull and hammerhead sharks and a 60-inch minimum on blacktips. — al, 21 July 2022 And unlike that wild weekend in Las Vegas that involved a tooth, a tiger, and a Mike Tyson, in this case, what happens in NYC won’t stay in NYC. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 3 July 2022 Price noted is for a set of 4 (monkey, zebra, tiger, elephant). — Brie Gatchalian, Woman's Day, 29 June 2022 This adventure tale has everything: shipwrecks, pirates, a tiger, and one envy-inducing island treehouse. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 1 June 2022 The tiger, which was put under control by the caretaker, was uninjured, sheriff's officials said. — Anthony Cusumano, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2022 Mules and hinnies, born of unions between horse and donkey, are generally sterile; big-cat hybrids such as ligers and tigons—blends between lion and tiger that have been bred in captivity—often end up in very fragile health. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 July 2022 The tiger mom of lore but Caribbean born, not the Asian parent. — ELLE, 6 July 2022 The maestro made his way through Comerica Park’s noisy, bustling concourse, checked out statues of Al Kaline and other Tiger greats and posed for photos with mascot Paws and the giant tiger out front. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, 3 July 2022 See More

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.