Meaning and Origin
What does the name Tiger mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Tiger
User Submitted Origins
English
55%
Chinese
16%
Arabic
10%
Hindi
3%
Swedish
3%
Filipino (Philippines)
3%
Greek
3%
African
3%
American
3%
User Submitted Meanings
- According to a user from Hong Kong, the name Tiger means "anger".
- According to a user from Alaska, U.S., the name Tiger is of Swedish origin and means "It comes from the Swedish 'tiga' meaning 'to keep quiet, say nothing'. It may also come from the English word for 'a large, carnivorous feline'".
- A submission from Australia says the name Tiger means "Animal" and is of English origin.
- A submission from Canada says the name Tiger means "Big cat, strong" and is of African origin.
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Ti"ger
Senses
- 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.
- Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person."As for heinous tiger, Tamora." [Shak.]
- A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
- A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three cheers and a tiger .(Colloq. U. S)
- A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
Etymology: OE. tigre, F. tigre, L. tigris, Gr. ti`gris; probably of Persian origin; cf. Zend tighra pointed, tighri an arrow, Per. tīr; perhaps akin to E. stick, v. t.; -- probably so named from its quickness.]
Other Dictionary Sources
- Large feline of forests in most of Asia having a tawny coat with black stripes; endangered
- A fierce or audacious person ("he's a tiger on the tennis court" and "it aroused the tiger in me")
Wiktionary
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”)). More at stick.
- Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.
- A male tiger.
- (heraldry) A representation of a large mythological cat, used on a coat of arms.
- (obsolete) A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
- (South Africa, dated but still used) A leopard.
- (US, slang) A person who is very athletic during sexual intercourse.
- (figuratively) A ferocious, bloodthirsty and audacious person.
- (US, colloquial) A kind of growl or screech, after cheering.
- three cheers and a
- A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
- A tiger moth.
- A relatively small country or group of countries with a fast-growing economy.
tiger was also found in the following language(s): Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Old English, Slovene, and Swedish