Tiger
Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Tiger
Mammal
A massive, striped carnivore that is an apex predator in the wild.
💡 Fun Facts
- Every tiger has a unique pattern of stripes, just like human fingerprints.
- Unlike most cats, tigers love water and are excellent swimmers.
- They are the largest of all wild cats.
Name Story
Panthera tigris
means “the arrow-swift great cat”
likely meaningThe 'arrow / swift as an arrow' origin is the leading idea and often repeated, but the true, ancient source of the word 'tigris' is not settled for certain.
What does its name mean?
- Panthera — big cat, pantherGreek panthēr
- tigris — tiger — perhaps from an old word meaning 'sharp' or 'arrow'Greek/Latin, possibly from Old Persian tigra 'sharp, pointed'
Its name may come from an ancient word meaning 'arrow' — swift and sharp — which would suit the explosive rush of a tiger's ambush perfectly.