tiger

noun

ti·​ger ˈtī-gər How to pronounce tiger (audio)
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 tamedJ. A. Davenport
often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
3
British : a groom in livery
tigerish adjective
tigerishly adverb
tigerishness noun
tigerlike adjective

Illustration of tiger

Illustration of tiger
  • tiger 1a

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 essence of Aries pushes us toward action and decision-making, and a tiger’s eye stone can provide the clarity and patience needed to take courageous steps forward without being swept away by impulsivity. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024 Zoo: Voters were tasked with choosing the name of the first tiger cub born at the Louisville Zoo in 20 years. Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 14 Oct. 2024 The art is in the otherworldly magic within the pictures—the majesty of a wolf’s face, the grace of swans on a lake, the bold colors of red-and-green macaws, the pose of a porcupine, the embrace of a tiger. Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 Semi-precious stones: sculptural jewelry gets updated with tiger’s eye, turquoise, malachite and more. Sandra Salibian, WWD, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tiger 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiger was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tiger

Cite this Entry

“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tiger

noun
ti·​ger ˈtī-gər How to pronounce tiger (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on tiger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!