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
Benedikt Althaus, who goes by Xariif, wore a tiger fursuit draped in red, white and blue stripes and splotches, reminiscent of the American flag.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
The jungle, in the Truong Son range between Laos and the South China Sea, is home to tigers and leeches.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Rengel's tattoos include the names of his mother and daughter, a barbershop and a tiger, the lawsuit said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
New Derpy McFlurry includes boba Separate from the meals is the new Derpy McFlurry, inspired by the protective tiger and made with vanilla soft serve and berry popping pearls, with a wild berry sauce.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, Freep.com, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
The jungle, in the Truong Son range between Laos and the South China Sea, is home to tigers and leeches.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Rengel's tattoos include the names of his mother and daughter, a barbershop and a tiger, the lawsuit said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
New Derpy McFlurry includes boba Separate from the meals is the new Derpy McFlurry, inspired by the protective tiger and made with vanilla soft serve and berry popping pearls, with a wild berry sauce.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, Freep.com, 25 Mar. 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 2 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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