What's the difference between domesticated and tamed? It can't be that domesticated critters are good in one's domicile, as "domesticated" seems to suggest, so what is it?

They mean the same thing except domestic animals are usually cattle, horses, and the like. They are relatively safe to have around the homestead since they tend to be totally dependent on humans for their care.

A "tamed" animal could be any wild animal which has become acclimated to being with humans but could potentially revert to a wild state with unforeseen and/or catastrophic results. You could tame a lion or a wolf, but would it be a good idea to let it sleep with you?

to me, "domesticated" refers to animals that have been bred to live with humans. While "tamed" refers to any animal that can live with humans without harming them, whether it's been domesticated or not.

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While "tamed" refers to any animal that can live with humans without harming them

I'm sure Siegried and Roy thought their animals were tamed to the point where they wouldn't harm them, and we all know how that worked out.

Goofy, your interpretation sounds right, but do you have any examples?

The OED has for domesticate "3. To accustom (an animal) to live under the care and near the habitations of man; to tame or bring under control; transf. to civilize" and for tame "2. a. To overcome the wildness or fierceness of (a man, animal, or thing); to subdue, subjugate, curb; to render gentle, tractable, or docile."

But also for tame "1. a. trans. To bring (a wild animal) under the control or into the service of man; to reclaim from the wild state, to domesticate." So maybe the difference is not so clear.

This where the dictionary def departs from reality. Domesticated animals are depenedent on humans for food and care and seldom attack their keepers.

Tamed animals are often dependent and will live without harm to humans but -- and here's the big difference -- will attack (even though they have been docile for a significant portion of their life) if the proper conditions arise. Example, Roy being attacked. Another, the woman in CT who had her face ripped off by a tame chimp. Or, more commonly, a domesticated cat that becomes frightened for some reason and lashes out (ever try to put one in a carrier that doesn't want to go to the vet?).

But the fact that Roy was attacked by his tiger has nothing to do with the usage of the word "tame". The OED has given the words definitions presumably based on their usage. Which means that with some English speakers, at least, the words are used to mean the same thing.

Proof, did you say that a domesticated cat attacking its keeper is an example of a tamed animal?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,

All animals, including us, have "fight or flight" responses to some situations. I can't see that as being at issue to the question.

There are now very human-friendly foxes being raised in Siberia, but their physical characteristics have changed with their "taming." What does one make of that? http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03...agewanted=all&src=pm
Some articles on these foxes call them "tame;" others say "domesticated." Are they both? I doubt Siegfried and Roy got to choose a "tame" tiger!

My wife and I have been involved with the animal shelter for many years. Even though cats are "domesticated" and thus tame to a great extent, that domesticity requires an adaption and acclimation to humans at an animal's early age. Otherwise they become feral, or wild. Feral cats can become "tame" if caught young enough but it takes a lot of patience to bring them to a point where they can be safely handled. And, as Geoff points out, "fight or flight" kicks in at the most inopportune moment when they need to be picked up for some reason. I can attest (though personal experience) to how badly they can injure a human despite their relatively small size.

If that "fight or flight" characteristic kicks in with a truly wild and fully-grown animal like a lion or chimp, the results can be deadly.

Case in point: A workmate "saved" an orphan raccoon that imprinted on him. Now he's "Mom!" That's tantamount to a death warrant, since he can't keep it, and a coon imprinted on people is going to be killed by the first person it approaches in the wild.

I encountered a baby raccoon with its mother yesterday on the rails-to-trails path near home. Momma coon gave me a wide berth; Junior planted its paws on the blacktop and hissed at me! No "fight or flight," or a skewed one, is bad news for a wild critter, but expected of people and their pets, to their detriment and ours.

So, is "tame" a relative term? Is "domesticated"

PS PR: I too have attempted to load a cat into a carrying crate that it once went to the vet in. I do NOT know where it got those four extra legs and fifty-two extra claws!

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I too have attempted to load a cat into a carrying crate that it once went to the vet in. I do NOT know where it got those four extra legs and fifty-two extra claws!

Last year I had a hand like a baseball mitt for two weeks thanks to three teeth.

It's interesting that the OED defines "tame" as "to domesticate." Really, I don't consider them to be that different.