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  • tiger
    tiger
    noun
    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.
  • Tiger
    Tiger
    noun
    See TIGR
Synonyms

tiger

American  
[tahy-ger] / ˈtaɪ gər /

noun

  • tigers,
    plural
  • tiger
    plural
  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 British  
/ 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

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

    2. ( as modifier )

      a tiger economy

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

  5. short for tiger moth

  6. slang a ten-rand note

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Tiger 2 British  
/ ˈtaɪɡə /

noun

  1. See TIGR

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of tiger

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

Explanation

You can think of a tiger as your sweet pet cat's distant cousin. Easily recognizable because of its distinctive dark stripes and orange fur, the tiger is the largest of all the cats. Some subspecies of tiger can weigh as much as 600 pounds. Because they are such fierce predators, tigers and humans have often clashed throughout history, resulting in the tiger's current classification as an endangered species. A person who's especially ambitious or fierce might also be called a tiger. The word may share a root with the Old Persian tigra-, "sharp."

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Vocabulary lists containing tiger

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

While Tayane Dalazen was bitten by a nurse shark - known as a more docile species - some influencers have been filmed touching tiger sharks and even great whites.

From BBC Aug. 15, 2026

The backyard includes tiger fig trees, apple trees, and other edible plantings surrounding a swimming pool designed for year-round Southern California living.

From MarketWatch Aug. 13, 2026

During the campaign, he leaned heavily into his self-proclaimed nickname "The Tiger," sharing AI-generated images of himself as a fanged tiger and the only candidate willing to wage war on crime and insurgency.

From Barron's Aug. 7, 2026

“It’s not like I’m painting a tiger on my house.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 5, 2026

A small gate in the high chain-link fence led out into open tiger territory.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

Asics plans to spin off Onitsuka Tiger in early 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 24, 2026

The media cited Australian foreign ministry letters sent to the families of the two citizens killed, informing them that Laos would charge the operator of the Tiger brand of alcohol with operating illegally.

From Barron's Jul. 17, 2026

The 24-year-old has sought counsel from Tiger Woods during the dark times and revealed the 15-time major winner was among the first to congratulate him on this long-awaited victory.

From BBC Jul. 12, 2026

This was my first win in three years, and the first person that texted me was Tiger Woods.

From BBC Jul. 12, 2026

Sean held up a sign that read Eye of the Tiger, Beej! which cracked me up.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Twycross is also home to two female Sumatran tigers, one of which was recently located from West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2026

The rare Amur tigers were born to third-time parents Red and Yana at the Longleat estate in Wiltshire.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

Longleat is now home to seven tigers, the largest family group in the UK.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

He fears prey availability has not recovered enough to support tigers, who could starve.

From Barron's Jul. 8, 2026

“The whole city is talking about it! The two tigers will fight to the death. Surely you want to see that?”

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

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