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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The charmingly pink exhibition reflects the collection of footwear and separates in the collection: hoodies with long ribbons instead of strings; T-shirts and short socks with frilly details, and caps and beanies with Patou’s brand logo and the Onitsuka Tiger tiger. Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024 The photos capture moments of resilience, innovation, and natural beauty, including a young emperor penguin's first leap from a cliff, a rare black tiger in India, and a simultaneous emergence of cicada broods in the U.S. Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 20 Nov. 2024 Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news A keeper at the Oklahoma City Zoo one day noticed that Eko, a Sumatran tiger, kept rubbing his face on the side of the fence, breaking all his whiskers. Jen McCaffery, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 According to the Louisiana Illuminator, Landry set up an unofficial committee to talk to LSU about bringing a live tiger back to the sideline. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tiger 

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 1 Dec. 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!