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
And then there was his Indian tiger.
—Clare Conley, Outdoor Life, 18 Sep. 2025
The restaurant will also offer only-in-Miami items like corvina with artichokes and a spicy broth; Alaskan King crab with leaves and Nikkei-style dressing and black tiger prawns with semolina and coconut bisque.
—Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Musk is constantly doing both, leaving Tesla’s directors holding a tiger by the tail.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Lions and tigers aren’t top of mind for most North Carolinians — but bears are a different story.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Clare Conley, Outdoor Life, 18 Sep. 2025
The restaurant will also offer only-in-Miami items like corvina with artichokes and a spicy broth; Alaskan King crab with leaves and Nikkei-style dressing and black tiger prawns with semolina and coconut bisque.
—Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Musk is constantly doing both, leaving Tesla’s directors holding a tiger by the tail.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Lions and tigers aren’t top of mind for most North Carolinians — but bears are a different story.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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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