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tiger mother

American  
[tahy-ger muhth-er] / ˈtaɪ gər ˌmʌð ər /
Informal, tiger mom

noun

  1. a strict mother, especially an East Asian, who demands academic excellence and obedience from her children.


tiger mother British  

noun

  1. a very strict mother who demands that her children reach a high level of achievement

"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

Etymology

Origin of tiger mother

Term popularized by Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother , title of a book (2011) by Amy Chua (born 1962)

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:

Some viewers will undoubtedly want Evelyn to go through a greater conversion, to transform from tiger mother to cool American mom.

From Washington Post May 4, 2022

When she boasts about her boyfriend’s athleticism and Instagram following, she is playing a version of her own tiger mother, parading her achievements as reflected in her accomplished and wealthy mate.

From The New Yorker Jun. 4, 2019

Connor was a far-fetched feminist figure because her power was concentrated in her ambivalent maternal love – like a hypothetical tiger mother, which doesn’t do a huge amount for female agency.

From The Guardian Jun. 5, 2017

The stakes for a tiger mother in the wild are vastly higher than for Chua’s tiger mothers.

From Slate May 10, 2013

It involved the kinds of relentless drills that would have made a tiger mother proud.

From BusinessWeek May 5, 2011

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