Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Shark \Shark\, n. [Of uncertain origin; perhaps through OF. fr.
carcharus a kind of dogfish, Gr. karchari`as, so called from
its sharp teeth, fr. ka`rcharos having sharp or jagged teeth;
or perhaps named from its rapacity (cf. {Shark}, v. t. & i.);
cf. Corn. scarceas.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of elasmobranch
fishes of the order Plagiostomi, found in all seas.
Note: Some sharks, as the basking shark and the whale shark,
grow to an enormous size, the former becoming forty
feet or more, and the latter sixty feet or more, in
length. Most of them are harmless to man, but some are
exceedingly voracious. The man-eating sharks mostly
belong to the genera {Carcharhinus}, {Carcharodon}, and
related genera. They have several rows of large sharp
teeth with serrated edges, as the great white shark
({Carcharodon carcharias, or Rondeleti}) of tropical
seas, and the great blue shark ({Carcharhinus glaucus})
of all tropical and temperate seas. The former
sometimes becomes thirty-six feet long, and is the most
voracious and dangerous species known. The rare
man-eating shark of the United States coast
({Charcarodon Atwoodi}) is thought by some to be a
variety, or the young, of {C. carcharias}. The dusky
shark ({Carcharhinus obscurus}), and the smaller blue
shark ({C. caudatus}), both common species on the coast
of the United States, are of moderate size and not
dangerous. They feed on shellfish and bottom fishes.
2. A rapacious, artful person; a sharper. [Colloq.]
3. Trickery; fraud; petty rapine; as, to live upon the shark.
[Obs.] --South.
{Baskin shark}, {Liver shark}, {Nurse shark}, {Oil shark},
{Sand shark}, {Tiger shark}, etc. See under {Basking},
{Liver}, etc. See also {Dogfish}, {Houndfish},
{Notidanian}, and {Tope}.
{Gray shark}, the sand shark.
{Hammer-headed shark}. See {Hammerhead}.
{Port Jackson shark}. See {Cestraciont}.
{Shark barrow}, the eggcase of a shark; a sea purse.
{Shark ray}. Same as {Angel fish}
(a), under {Angel}.
{Thrasher} shark, or {Thresher shark}, a large, voracious
shark. See {Thrasher}.
{Whale shark}, a huge harmless shark ({Rhinodon typicus}) of
the Indian Ocean. It becomes sixty feet or more in length,
but has very small teeth.
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[=i]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}.
2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
As for heinous tiger, Tamora. --Shak.
3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or
mistress. --Dickens.
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}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The puma.
(b) The jaguar.
{Clouded tiger} (Zo["o]l.), a handsome striped and spotted
carnivore ({Felis macrocelis} or {F. 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} (Zo["o]l.), the jaguar.
{Tiger beetle} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
active carnivorous beetles of the family {Cicindelid[ae]}.
They usually inhabit dry or sandy places, and fly rapidly.
{Tiger bittern}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Sun bittern}, under {Sun}.
{Tiger cat} (Zo["o]l.), 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 {T. conchiflora}, {T. grandiflora}, etc.)
having showy flowers, spotted or streaked somewhat like
the skin of a tiger.
{Tiger grass} (Bot.), a low East Indian fan palm
({Cham[ae]rops Ritchieana}). It is used in many ways by
the natives. --J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
{Tiger lily}. (Bot.) See under {Lily}.
{Tiger moth} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of moths
of the family {Arctiad[ae]} which are striped or barred
with black and white or with other conspicuous colors. The
larv[ae] are called {woolly bears}.
{Tiger shark} (Zo["o]l.), a voracious shark ({Galeocerdo
maculatus or tigrinus}) more or less barred or spotted
with yellow. It is found in both the Atlantic and Indian
Ocean. Called also {zebra shark}.
{Tiger shell} (Zo["o]l.), a large and conspicuously spotted
cowrie ({Cypr[ae]a tigris}); -- so called from its fancied
resemblance to a tiger in color and markings. Called also
{tiger cowrie}.
{Tiger wolf} (Zo["o]l.), the spotted hyena ({Hy[ae]na
crocuta}).
{Tiger wood}, the variegated heartwood of a tree
({Mach[ae]rium Schomburgkii}) found in Guiana.
Source : WordNet®
tiger shark
n : large dangerous warm-water shark with striped or spotted
body [syn: {Galeocerdo cuvieri}]