tiger
/ˈtaɪgə(r)/noun
1
- a very large solitary cat with a yellow-brown coat striped with black, native to the forests of Asia but becoming increasingly rare（老）虎。
1.1
- Panthera tigris, family Felidae.拉丁名Panthera tigris,猫科。
1.2
- used to refer to someone fierce, determined, or ambitious强悍的人; 劲头十足的人：
despite his wound, he still fought like a tiger
尽管有伤在身, 他打起来还是勇猛得像只老虎
one of the sport's young tigers.
体坛的年轻小将之一。
1.3
- （亦作tiger economy）a dynamic economy of one of the smaller East Asian countries, for example, that of Singapore, or South Korea（尤指东亚较小国家, 如新加坡、韩国的）小龙经济。
1.4
- informal, chiefly Austral. /NZ a person with an insatiable appetite for something〈非正式, 主澳/新西兰〉不知足的人：
I'm a tiger for a bargain.
我对买便宜货乐此不疲。
2
- used in names of tiger moths and striped butterflies, e.g. scarlet tiger, plain tiger用于灯蛾、斑纹蝴蝶的名称中, 如scarlet tiger, plain tiger。
短语
have a tiger by the tail （亦作be riding a tiger）
- have embarked on a course of action which proves unexpectedly difficult but which cannot easily or safely be abandoned处境比预料的困难, 骑虎难下。
词源
Middle English: from Old French tigre, from Latin tigris, from Greek.