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. t[imac]r; 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.
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   2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
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            As for heinous tiger, Tamora.         --Shak.
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   3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or
      mistress. --Dickens.
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   4. A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three
      cheers and a tiger. [Colloq. U. S.]
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   5. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
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   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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Zebra \Ze"bra\, n. [Pg. zebra; cf. Sp. cebra; probably from a
   native African name.] (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.
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   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
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   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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