tiger

English Online Dictionary. What means tiger‎? What does tiger mean?

English

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Alternative forms

• tigre (obsolete)
• tyger (dated)

Etymology 1

From Middle English tygre, in part from Old English tigras (pl.), in part from Anglo-Norman tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Ancient Greek τίγρις (tígris), from Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬔𐬭𐬌 (tigri, “arrow”), 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “pointed”)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to pierce, prick, be sharp”). Compare English stick.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈtaɪɡə/
• (General American, Canada) enPR: tī'gər, IPA^(key): /ˈtaɪɡɚ/
  • (Inland Northern American, New England, some speakers) IPA^(key): [ˈtʌɪɡɚ]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑɪɡə/
• Rhymes: -aɪɡə(ɹ)
• Homophone: taiga (non-rhotic)

Noun

tiger (plural tigers)

2. Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.

   Hypernym: felid

   Hyponyms: tiger cub, tigress

   1. A male tiger; as opposed to a tigress.

      Coordinate term: tigress

3. Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
   1. (inexact) A sabre-toothed tiger (any felid in subfamily †Machairodontinae).
   2. (inexact) A Tasmanian tiger, †Thylacinus cynocephalus.
   3. Certain insects:
      1. A tiger moth in the family Arctiidae.
      2. A tiger beetle.
      3. Any of the three Australian species of black-and-yellow striped dragonflies of the genus Ictinogomphus.
      4. A tiger butterfly in tribe Danaini, especially subtribe Danaina.
4. (heraldry) A representation of a large mythological cat, used on a coat of arms.
5. (South Africa, dated but still used) A leopard.
6. A relatively small country or group of countries with a fast-growing economy.
7. (obsolete) A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
8. (US, slang) A person who is very athletic during sexual intercourse.
9. (figurative) A ferocious, bloodthirsty and audacious person.
10. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.

Usage notes

In heraldry, many writers use spellings such as tyger or tygre to distinguish the mythological beast from the natural tiger (also blazoned Bengal tiger), which also occurs in heraldry.

Derived terms

Related terms

• Tigger
• tigrine

Descendants

• → Volapük: tigrid
• → Welsh: teigr

Translations

References

“tiger”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Etymology 2

From the mascot of Princeton (a tiger), which led to early cheerleaders calling out "Tiger" at the end of a cheer for the Princeton team.

Noun

tiger (plural tigers)

1. A final shouted phrase, accompanied by a jump or outstretched arms, at the end of a cheer.

Anagrams

• Tigre, Tigré, greit, tigre

Cornish

Etymology

Borrowed from English tiger.

Pronunciation

• (Revived Middle Cornish) IPA^(key): [ˈtiːɡɛr]
• (Revived Late Cornish) IPA^(key): [ˈtiːɡɐr]

Noun

tiger m (plural tigres or tigri)

1. tiger

Derived terms

Mutation

Danish

Etymology

From German Tiger, from Latin tigris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtiːər/, [ˈtˢiːɐ]
• Homophone: tier

Noun

tiger c (singular definite tigeren, plural indefinite tigere or tigre)

1. tiger

Declension

Derived terms

• tigerøje

References

• “tiger” in Den Danske Ordbog

Iberian

Alternative forms

• tiker

Etymology

Unknown. Most likely unrelated to Proto-Celtic *tigernos (“lord, ruler”).

Determiner

tiger

1. our

References

• Villamor, Fernando (2020) A basic dictionary and grammar of the Iberian language

Middle Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French tigre, from Latin tigris.

Noun

tiger m

1. tiger

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: tijger
• Limburgish: tieger

Further reading

• “tiger”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “tiger”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Noun

tiger (plural tigers)

1. Alternative form of tygre

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin tigris.

Noun

tiger m (definite singular tigeren, indefinite plural tigere or tigre or tigrer, definite plural tigerne or tigrene)

1. a tiger (Panthera tigris)

Derived terms

• sabeltanntiger

References

• “tiger” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin tigris.

Noun

tiger m (definite singular tigeren, indefinite plural tigrar, definite plural tigrane)

1. a tiger (Panthera tigris)

Derived terms

• sabeltanntiger

References

• “tiger” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *tīgr (“tiger”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈti.ɡer/, [ˈti.ɣer]

Noun

tiger m (nominative plural tigras)

1. tiger

Declension

Strong a-stem:

Derived terms

• tigrisċ

Descendants

• Middle English: tygre, tygur, tygyr, tigre, tiger, teger, tegre (partially from Old French)
  • English: tiger (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: teeger

Slovene

Etymology

Ultimately from Ancient Greek τίγρις (tígris), from Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬔𐬭𐬌 (tigri, “arrow”), 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “pointed”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tìːɡər/

Noun

tígər m anim (female equivalent tīgrica)

1. tiger

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• “tiger”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2025

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /¹tiːɡɛr/

Noun

tiger c

1. tiger (animal)

Declension

See also

• katt
• lejon

Verb

tiger

1. present indicative of tiga

References

• tiger in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tiger in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tiger in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Svensk MeSH

West Frisian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

tiger c (plural tigers, diminutive tigerke)

1. tiger

Further reading

• “tiger”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011