tiger

[tahy-ger]

noun

plural

tigers, tiger 

1. a large, carnivorous, tawny-colored and black-striped feline, Panthera tigris, of Asia, ranging in several subspecies from India and the Malay Peninsula to Siberia: the entire species is endangered, with some subspecies thought to be extinct.

2. the cougar, jaguar, thylacine, or other animal resembling the tiger.

3. a person resembling a tiger in fierceness, courage, etc.

4. a country that is considered to have a tiger economy.

   Taiwan is one of the four Asian tigers.

5. an additional cheer (often the wordtiger ) at the end of a round of cheering.

6. any of several strong, voracious fishes, as a sand shark.

7. any of numerous animals with stripes similar to a tiger's.

adjective

1. noting or relating to a strict parenting style that demands academic excellence and obedience from children, associated especially with East Asians.

   a tiger mom; tiger parenting.

tiger

¹

/ ˈtaɪɡə /

noun

1. a large feline mammal, Panthera tigris, of forests in most of Asia, having a tawny yellow coat with black stripes

2. (not in technical use) any of various other animals, such as the jaguar, leopard, and thylacine

3. a dynamic, forceful, or cruel person

4. 1. a country, esp in E Asia, that is achieving rapid economic growth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a tiger economy

5. archaic,  a servant in livery, esp a page or groom

6. short for tiger moth

7. slang,  a ten-rand note

8. informal,  to find oneself in a situation that has turned out to be much more difficult to control than one had expected

Tiger

²

/ ˈtaɪɡə /

noun

1. See TIGR

Other Word Forms

• tigerishness noun
• tiger-like adjective
• tigerishly adverb
• tigerish adjective
• tigerlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiger¹

before 1000; Middle English tigre, Old English tīgras (plural) < Latin tīgris, tigris < Greek tígris

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiger¹

C13: from Old French tigre, from Latin tigris, from Greek, of Iranian origin

Example Sentences

“Sometimes,” Stacy said, “she has this internal battle of how to keep that tiger under control but let it free at the same time.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some fear that shark numbers are exploding, after several types - including the world's two deadliest shark species, great whites and tigers - were given varying degrees of protection in Australian waters.

Read more on BBC

He said Russia was a “paper tiger” and that it had bragged about winning the war in a week, but was still in Ukraine three and a half years later.

Read more on Salon

The US president also described Russia as a "paper tiger" that had been "fighting aimlessly in Ukraine."

Read more on BBC

"Russia's in no way a tiger," Mr Peskov to a Russian radio station.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• cougar 
• cub 
• leopard 
• lynx