tiger \ti"ger\, n. oe. tigre, f. tigre, l. tigris, gr. ti`gris;
   probably of persian origin; cf. zend tighra pointed, tighri
   an arrow, per. timacr; perhaps akin to e. stick, v. t.; --
   probably so named from its quickness.
   1. a very large and powerful carnivore felis tigris
      native of southern asia and the east indies. its back and
      sides are tawny or rufous yellow, transversely striped
      with black, the tail is ringed with black, the throat and
      belly are nearly white. when full grown, it equals or
      exceeds the lion in size and strength. called also royal
      tiger, and bengal tiger.
      1913 webster

   2. fig.: a ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
      1913 webster

            as for heinous tiger, tamora.         --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. a servant in livery, who rides with his master or
      mistress. --dickens.
      1913 webster

   4. a kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three
      cheers and a tiger. colloq. u. s.
      1913 webster

   5. a pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
      1913 webster

   american tiger. zool.
      a the puma.
      b the jaguar.

   clouded tiger zool., a handsome striped and spotted
      carnivore felis macrocelis or felis marmorata native
      of the east indies and southern asia. its body is about
      three and a half feet long, and its tail about three feet
      long. its ground color is brownish gray, and the dark
      markings are irregular stripes, spots, and rings, but
      there are always two dark bands on the face, one extending
      back from the eye, and one from the angle of the mouth.
      called also tortoise-shell tiger.

   mexican tiger zool., the jaguar.

   tiger beetle zool., any one of numerous species of active
      carnivorous beetles of the family cicindelidae. they
      usually inhabit dry or sandy places, and fly rapidly.

   tiger bittern. zool. see sun bittern, under sun.

   tiger cat zool., any one of several species of wild cats
      of moderate size with dark transverse bars or stripes
      somewhat resembling those of the tiger.

   tiger flower bot., an iridaceous plant of the genus
      tigridia as tigridia conchiflora, tigridia
      grandiflora, etc. having showy flowers, spotted or
      streaked somewhat like the skin of a tiger.

   tiger grass bot., a low east indian fan palm chamaerops
      ritchieana. it is used in many ways by the natives. --j.
      smith dict. econ. plants.

   tiger lily. bot. see under lily.

   tiger moth zool., any one of numerous species of moths of
      the family arctiadae which are striped or barred with
      black and white or with other conspicuous colors. the
      larvae are called woolly bears.

   tiger shark zool., a voracious shark galeocerdo
      tigrinus syn. galeocerdo maculatus more or less barred
      or spotted with yellow. it is found in both the atlantic
      and indian ocean. called also zebra shark.

   tiger shell zool., a large and conspicuously spotted
      cowrie cypraea tigris; -- so called from its fancied
      resemblance to a tiger in color and markings. called also
      tiger cowrie.

   tiger snake zool., either of two very venomous snakes of
      tasmania and australia, notechis scutatis and notechis
      ater, which grow up to 5 feet in length.

   tiger wolf zool., the spotted hyena hyaena crocuta.
      

   tiger wood, the variegated heartwood of a tree machaerium
      schomburgkii found in guiana.
      1913 webster
see also:
felis tigris royal tiger bengal tiger american tiger clouded tiger felis macrocelis 
felis marmorata tortoise-shell tiger mexican tiger tiger beetle cicindelidae 
tiger bittern sun bittern sun tiger cat tiger flower 
tigridia tigridia conchiflora tigridia grandiflora tiger grass chamaerops ritchieana 
tiger lily lily tiger moth arctiadae woolly bears 
tiger shark galeocerdo tigrinus galeocerdo maculatus zebra shark tiger shell 
cypraea tigris tiger cowrie tiger snake notechis scutatis notechis ater 
tiger wolf hyaena crocuta tiger wood machaerium schomburgkii