Illustration of tiger
- tiger 1a
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 tamed.—
J. A. Davenport
—often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
J. A. Davenport3
British
: a groom in livery
tigerishly
adverb
tigerishness
noun
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
The animal hide pattern has proven popular on runways and among celebrities in recent months, with Kendall Jenner and Rihanna rocking Chanel and Alaïa's latest tiger print designs.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Monthien spoke at the news conference in an apparent effort to reassure the public that the tigers’ deaths didn’t come from bird flu, which has been resurgent in parts of Asia.
—Wasamon Audjarint, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Finnish zoo visitors struggle to understand the emotional valences of tigers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
This suggests that consuming tiger nuts or using their extracts may support the immune system and reduce the risk of certain infections.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Monthien spoke at the news conference in an apparent effort to reassure the public that the tigers’ deaths didn’t come from bird flu, which has been resurgent in parts of Asia.
—Wasamon Audjarint, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Finnish zoo visitors struggle to understand the emotional valences of tigers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
This suggests that consuming tiger nuts or using their extracts may support the immune system and reduce the risk of certain infections.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tiger
noun
ti·ger
ˈtī-gər 
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
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