Added 9 October 2026
tiger
/ˈtaɪɡə/ noun
In Latin: tīgris Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tiger at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.
- A male tiger; as opposed to a tigress.
- Other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc. A sabre-toothed tiger (any felid in the subfamily †Machairodontinae). A Tasmanian tiger, †Thylacinus cynocephalus A jaguar. Certain insects: A tiger moth in the family Arctiidae. A tiger beetle. Any of the three Australian species of black-and-yellow striped dragonflies of the genus Ictinogomphus. A tiger butterfly in the tribe Danaini, especially subtribe Danaina.
noun
- A final shouted phrase, accompanied by a jump or outstretched arms, at the end of a cheer.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)