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
Vera Bradley Outlet Fleece Throw Blanket Available in bold prints with tigers, cats, plaid, and florals, this Vera Bradley throw adds personality to your space.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025
The museum has had two practice runs deploying the tiger dam, which takes about 12 hours and 10 to 12 people to fully inflate.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The Olivier honors included an unprecedented Best Supporting Actor award to the puppeteers who operate the tiger named Richard Parker (named so because of a clerical error in filing after his capture).
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
The show then cut to the host and his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, backstage, costumed as a tiger and a banana, respectively.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
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Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025
The museum has had two practice runs deploying the tiger dam, which takes about 12 hours and 10 to 12 people to fully inflate.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The Olivier honors included an unprecedented Best Supporting Actor award to the puppeteers who operate the tiger named Richard Parker (named so because of a clerical error in filing after his capture).
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
The show then cut to the host and his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, backstage, costumed as a tiger and a banana, respectively.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 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 2 Oct. 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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