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
What Happened The Dallas Zoo announced the birth of twin Sumatran tiger cubs — one male and one female — born to mother Sukacita (Suki).
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
The contest is donation-based, meaning your vote doubles as a direct contribution to protecting endangered tigers.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
It’s known for serving plates heaped with seafood, including clams, squid, tiger prawns, and more.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Sharks are, of course, a much more natural fit for all of this than tigers.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
The contest is donation-based, meaning your vote doubles as a direct contribution to protecting endangered tigers.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
It’s known for serving plates heaped with seafood, including clams, squid, tiger prawns, and more.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Sharks are, of course, a much more natural fit for all of this than tigers.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 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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