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Definition of tigris
tigris
/ˈtaɪ.ɡrɪs/
Ti · gris
tigris Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A major river in Western Asia that rises in the Taurus Mountains of eastern Turkey and flows southeast through Iraq to join the Euphrates, forming the Shatt al-Arab before emptying into the Persian Gulf.
Example
"The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia flourished in the fertile valleys between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers."
Word Nuance & Usage
Almost exclusively capitalized as 'Tigris' in English, as it functions as a proper noun referring to the river.
• Rhymes for tigris
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'Tigris', from Ancient Greek 'Tígris' (Τίγρης), ultimately derived from Old Persian 'Tigrā', which traces back to the Sumerian name 'Idigna', meaning 'swift river'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tigris. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tigris