A tigress is a female tiger. While most people simply say “tiger” for both male and female tigers, tigress specifically refers to the females of these magnificent big cats.

Tigresses are remarkable hunters and fiercely protective mothers. A mother tigress raises her cubs alone for about two years, teaching them how to hunt, avoid danger, and survive in the wild. During this time, she'll defend her cubs against any threat, including male tigers that might harm them. This protective nature has made tigress a word people sometimes use to describe a woman who defends something or someone with powerful determination, like when a coach becomes a tigress protecting her team from unfair criticism.

Female tigers are slightly smaller than males but just as powerful. In the wild, a tigress can take down prey as large as a water buffalo, using her strength, patience, and hunting intelligence. Tigers are endangered in the wild today, making every tigress vitally important to the survival of her species. Each tigress can have several litters of cubs during her lifetime, helping ensure these spectacular animals don't disappear from the Earth.