"parsimonious person," 1900, from tight in the figurative sense of "close-fisted" (1805) + wad (n.). The notions of stringency and avarice also combine in Modern Greek sphiktos "greedy," literally "tight."
tiger
tight
tighten
tightrope
tights
tightwad
tigress
Tigris
Tijuana
Tiki
til