tiger

[ tahy-ger ]

/ ˈtaɪ gər /

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noun, plural ti·gers, (especially collectively for 1, 2, 6) ti·ger.

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.

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

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

a country that is considered to have a tiger economy: Taiwan is one of the four Asian tigers.

an additional cheer (often the word tiger) at the end of a round of cheering.

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

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

adjective

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.

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Origin of tiger

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

OTHER WORDS FROM tiger

ti·ger·like, adjective

Words nearby tiger

tiffin, Tiflis, Tifton, tig, Tigard, tiger, Tiger balm, tiger beetle, tiger by the tail, tiger cat, tiger economy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use tiger in a sentence

As late as the 1950s, hunters reported spotting their blue hairs alongside the traditional orange fur of other South China tigers on trails.
How Neutral Theory Altered Ideas About Biodiversity|Christie Wilcox|December 8, 2020|Quanta Magazine
On Thursday morning, Candy Couser, who has volunteered at the “Tiger King” star’s Tampa animal sanctuary for five years, was about to feed a 3-year-old male tiger named Kimba, when she noticed something was off with his cage.
A tiger at Carole Baskin’s sanctuary attacked a volunteer’s arm and ‘nearly tore it off at the shoulder’|Jaclyn Peiser|December 4, 2020|Washington Post
The tiger dropped his grip and Couser fell away from the cage as her co-workers aimed to save her arm, using a belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding before an ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later.
A tiger at Carole Baskin’s sanctuary attacked a volunteer’s arm and ‘nearly tore it off at the shoulder’|Jaclyn Peiser|December 4, 2020|Washington Post
Alito declared that to be something like a sighting of a “Tasmanian tiger” — meaning the possibility might be there, but the court has never recognized one.
Supreme Court weighs whether its ruling requiring unanimous juries should be applied retroactively|Robert Barnes|December 2, 2020|Washington Post

Animals range from Arabian horses to exotic birds to big cats like cheetahs, tigers, and more—all are indexed with brief descriptions of each subject.
Animal coffee table books that make great gifts and conversation fodder|PopSci Commerce Team|October 1, 2020|Popular-Science
All of the big cats have a special mystique, but perhaps none more so than the tiger.
This Tiger Has Some Serious Ups|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In March, police arrested a group of wealthy businessmen and government officials who were about to dine on illegal tiger meat.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think|Brendon Hong|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I was watching ‘Daniel The Tiger’ with my kid and I heard two shots like ‘boom-boom,’” he said.
Anger at The Cop Killer - And The Police|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tiger Lily and her tribe, however, were outfitted in semi-realistic outfits (read: nearly naked).
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Review: No Amount of Clapping Brings It to Life|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In other news, black and white pin-up shots are now officially less valuable than life-size Tiger Beat tear outs.
Justin Bieber Isn’t Even 21, Yet Makes More Money Than Meryl Streep|Amy Zimmerman|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The moment the bait was touched, down would come the heavy timber—smash—on the tiger's head.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
Tiger-hunting, by the way, was considered great sport by Yung Pak's father.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
The fresh imprint of a tiger's paw upon the pathway gives the same sort of feel to the Indian herdsman.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
So he settled back to pay the price and hear the story of Flora Martin and the tiger.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
She saw two fiery eyes; she saw the tiger gather himself preparatory to springing.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

British Dictionary definitions for tiger (1 of 2)

tiger

/ (ˈtaɪɡə) /

noun

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

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

a dynamic, forceful, or cruel person

a country, esp in E Asia, that is achieving rapid economic growth
(as modifier)a tiger economy

archaic a servant in livery, esp a page or groom

short for tiger moth

Southern African slang a ten-rand note

have a tiger by the tail informal to find oneself in a situation that has turned out to be much more difficult to control than one had expected

Derived forms of tiger

tigerish or tigrish, adjectivetigerishly, adverbtigerishness, nountiger-like, adjective

Word Origin for tiger

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

British Dictionary definitions for tiger (2 of 2)

Tiger

/ (ˈtaɪɡə) /

noun

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

tiger

Origin of tiger

OTHER WORDS FROM tiger

Words nearby tiger

Words related to tiger

How to use tiger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tiger (1 of 2)

Derived forms of tiger

Word Origin for tiger

British Dictionary definitions for tiger (2 of 2)