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tiger

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Tiger and TIGER

English

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Siberian tiger

Alternative forms

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Etymology 1

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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

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Noun

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tiger (plural tigers)

  1. 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
  2. (heraldry) A representation of a large mythological cat, used on a coat of arms.
    • 1968, Charles MacKinnon of Dunakin, The Observer's Book of Heraldry, page 69:
      The heraldic tiger is a mythical beast, quite unlike a real tiger which is described in heraldry as a Bengal tiger. The ordinary tiger has no stripes, has a horn protruding from its nose, has tusks like a boar and a tufted mane, and has a lion's tail instead of a tiger's.
  3. (South Africa, dated but still used) A leopard.
    • 1907, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, Jock of the Bushveld, Longmans, published 1976, →ISBN, page 251:
      Jim remarked irrelevantly that tigers were 'schelms' and it was his conviction that there were a great many in the kloofs round about.
  4. A relatively small country or group of countries with a fast-growing economy.
    • 2000, Jagdish Handa, Monetary Economics, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 709:
      In this scenario, the growth rates are higher for the economic tigers than for the other economies.
    • 2009, Fabrizio Tassinari, Why Europe Fears Its Neighbors, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 21:
      Then came the 2008 credit turmoil and ensuing economic slump, which not only belittled the huge economic and social gains of the various Baltic and Celtic Tigers, as well as of several former communist nations of Central Europe.
    • 2014, Emmanuel Akyeampong, Robert H. Bates, Nathan Nunn, James Robinson, Africa's Development in Historical Perspective, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 287:
      Once colonial or settler rule ended, such enterprises either lost the crutches of state support or became “white elephants,” draining resources from the wider economy. This was an important factor holding back the emergence of African tigers.
  5. (obsolete) A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
  6. (US, slang) A person who is very athletic during sexual intercourse.
    • 2010, Jeff Wilser, The Maxims of Manhood:
      Don't [] Tell your roommate that you heard the walls shaking all night, and it sounds like he's a real tiger in the sack.
  7. (figurative) A ferocious, bloodthirsty and audacious person.
    • c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
      As for that heinous tiger, Tamora,
      No funeral rite, nor man in mournful weeds,
      No mournful bell shall ring her burial;
      But throw her forth to beasts, and birds of prey.
  8. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
  9. A tiger moth in the family Arctiidae.
  10. A tiger beetle.
  11. Any of the three Australian species of black-and-yellow striped dragonflies of the genus Ictinogomphus.
  12. A tiger butterfly in tribe Danaini, especially subtribe Danaina
Usage notes
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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
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Descendants
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  • Volapük: tigrid
  • Welsh: teigr
Translations
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References

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

Etymology 2

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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

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tiger (plural tigers)

  1. A final shouted phrase, accompanied by a jump or outstretched arms, at the end of a cheer.
    • 1868, Punch: Or the London Charivari - Volume 55, page 231:
      He spoke with a very strong Scotch accent, and is by no means a graceful orator, but he produced througout a most favourable impression upon all his hearers, and especially upon the students, one of whom shouted as the speaker closed, 'Long Live PRESIDENT M'COSH!' and then proposed three cheers, which were given with a will, followed by the usual tiger and ' rocket.'
    • 1941, Margaret Leech, Reveille in Washington:
      . . . every blue coat in the audience sprang to his feet, with three times three and a tiger.
    • 2008, D. C. Beard, The Outdoor Handy Book: For Playground, Field, and Forest, page 413:
      One Brooklyn military company has a “tiger” composed of a provincial expression borrowed from the farmers. When drawled out by a hundred throats the phrase "I-wanter-know!" always produces a laugh.

Anagrams

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Cornish

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Cornish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia kw

Etymology

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From English tiger.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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tiger m (plural tigres or tigri)

  1. tiger

Danish

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Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology

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From German Tiger, from Latin tigris.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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

  1. tiger

Declension

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Derived terms

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References

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Middle Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Old French tigre, from Latin tigris.

Noun

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tiger m

  1. tiger

Inflection

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This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

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Further reading

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Middle English

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Noun

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tiger (plural tigers)

  1. Alternative form of tygre

Norwegian Bokmål

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Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nb

Etymology

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From Latin tigris.

Noun

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

  1. a tiger (Panthera tigris)

Derived terms

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References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Etymology

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From Latin tigris.

Noun

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

  1. a tiger (Panthera tigris)

Derived terms

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References

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Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *tīgr (tiger).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈti.ɡer/, [ˈti.ɣer]

Noun

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tiger m (nominative plural tigras)

  1. tiger

Declension

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Strong a-stem:

singular plural
nominative tiger tigras
accusative tiger tigras
genitive tigres tigra
dative tigre tigrum

Derived terms

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Descendants

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Slovene

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Slovene Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sl
Tiger

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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tígər m anim (female equivalent tīgrica)

  1. tiger

Inflection

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The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.
Masculine anim., hard o-stem
nom. sing. tíger
gen. sing. tígra
singular dual plural
nominative
(imenovȃlnik)
tíger tígra tígri
genitive
(rodȋlnik)
tígra tígrov tígrov
dative
(dajȃlnik)
tígru tígroma tígrom
accusative
(tožȋlnik)
tígra tígra tígre
locative
(mẹ̑stnik)
tígru tígrih tígrih
instrumental
(orọ̑dnik)
tígrom tígroma tígri

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • tiger”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2024

Swedish

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Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sv
en tiger
En svensk tiger ["A Swedish tiger / A Swede keeps silent" – design from a World War II propaganda campaign, like "loose lips sink ships." See tiga for the pun.]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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tiger c

  1. tiger (animal)
    Tigrar har ränder
    Tigers have stripes
    Det är lätt att blanda ihop lejon och tigrar
    It's easy to mix up lions and tigers
    • 1995, Charta 77 (lyrics and music), “Lilla björn och lilla tiger [Little bear and little tiger]”, in Tecken i tiden [Sign of the times]‎[1]:
      En björn och en tiger mot drömmarnas land, där solen som stiger alltid är varm. Tillsammans på stigen som leder dom fram.
      A bear and a tiger towards the land of dreams, where the sun that rises ["the rising sun" is "den uppgående solen" instead] is always warm. Together on the path that leads them forward.

Declension

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See also

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Verb

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tiger

  1. present indicative of tiga

References

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West Frisian

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Etymology

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

Noun

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tiger c (plural tigers, diminutive tigerke)

  1. tiger

Further reading

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