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
While leopard print might be considered a neutral, and cow and deer print are experiencing somewhat of a revival, tiger stripes feel much more maligned.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2026
Both the dial and caseband are made of polished tiger’s eye, a chatoyant mineral that appears very three-dimensional.
—Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Deer, zebra and tiger prints are a must, as well as oversized accessories like pendant necklaces.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Jan. 2026
Rihanna stepped out in New York City wearing a dramatic pantsless look that doubled down on tiger print.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2026
Both the dial and caseband are made of polished tiger’s eye, a chatoyant mineral that appears very three-dimensional.
—Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Deer, zebra and tiger prints are a must, as well as oversized accessories like pendant necklaces.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Jan. 2026
Rihanna stepped out in New York City wearing a dramatic pantsless look that doubled down on tiger print.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 20 Jan. 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 22 Jan. 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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