Ti·ger n.
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.
2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
As for heinous tiger, Tamora. --Shak.
3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
4. A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three cheers and a tiger. [Colloq. U. S.]
5. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
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.
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Ze·bra n. Zool. Any member of three species of African wild horses remarkable for having the body white or yellowish white, and conspicuously marked with dark brown or brackish bands.
Note: ☞ The true or mountain zebra (Equus zebra syn. Asinus zebra) is nearly white, and the bands which cover the body and legs are glossy black. Its tail has a tuft of black hair at the tip. It inhabits the mountains of Central and Southern Africa, and is noted for its wariness and wildness, as well as for its swiftness. The second species (Equus Burchellii syn. Asinus Burchellii or Equus quagga), known as Burchell's zebra, plains zebra, and dauw, is the most abundant, inhabiting the grassy plains of tropical and southern Africa, and differing from the preceding in not having dark bands on the legs, while those on the body are more irregular. It has a long tail, covered with long white flowing hair. Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is distinct from the others in being placed in the subgenus Dolichohippus, whereas the plains and mountain zebras are placed in the subgenus Hippotigris. More on zebras can be found at:
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/zebra.html
Zebra caterpillar, the larva of an American noctuid moth (Mamestra picta). It is light yellow, with a broad black stripe on the back and one on each side; the lateral stripes are crossed with withe lines. It feeds on cabbages, beets, clover, and other cultivated plants.
Zebra opossum, the zebra wolf. See under Wolf.
Zebra parrakeet, an Australian grass parrakeet, often kept as a cage bird. Its upper parts are mostly pale greenish yellow, transversely barred with brownish black crescents; the under parts, rump, and upper tail coverts, are bright green; two central tail feathers and the cheek patches are blue. Called also canary parrot, scallop parrot, shell parrot, and undulated parrot.
Zebra poison Bot., a poisonous tree (Euphorbia arborea) of the Spurge family, found in South Africa. Its milky juice is so poisonous that zebras have been killed by drinking water in which its branches had been placed, and it is also used as an arrow poison. --J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
Zebra shark. Same as Tiger shark, under Tiger.
Zebra spider, a hunting spider.
Zebra swallowtail, a very large North American swallow-tailed butterfly (Iphiclides ajax), in which the wings are yellow, barred with black; -- called also ajax.
Zebra wolf. See under Wolf.
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