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
Per the clip, the tiger entered the container first before being raised to safety.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Decked out with tiger print rugs from Roberto Cavalli Home, leopard print wallpaper, champagne gold displays, green marble panels, and geometric parquet floors, the boutique brings to life the Italian fashion house’s frenetic print-laden aesthetic.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 5 Mar. 2025
On my right forearm, two tigers dance around a small flame, tied together by the red string of fate.
—Renea Baek Goddard, Them, 21 Feb. 2025
Pike and Muskie Hybrid While muskies have been stocked outside their historic range, modern-day fisheries managers are just as likely to introduce tiger muskies, which are a cross between a female muskie and male pike.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Decked out with tiger print rugs from Roberto Cavalli Home, leopard print wallpaper, champagne gold displays, green marble panels, and geometric parquet floors, the boutique brings to life the Italian fashion house’s frenetic print-laden aesthetic.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 5 Mar. 2025
On my right forearm, two tigers dance around a small flame, tied together by the red string of fate.
—Renea Baek Goddard, Them, 21 Feb. 2025
Pike and Muskie Hybrid While muskies have been stocked outside their historic range, modern-day fisheries managers are just as likely to introduce tiger muskies, which are a cross between a female muskie and male pike.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 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 22 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share