This is the 803rd most frequent German word.
tier
"Tier" in German means "animal" in English.
Here, 'Tier' is used as a noun meaning 'animal'.
Das Tier im Wald ist ein Reh.
The animal in the forest is a deer.
In this context, 'tier' means a level or rank in a hierarchical structure.
Auf der Karriereleiter steht sie ein Tier höher als ich.
On the career ladder, she is one tier higher than I am.
Here, 'Tier' is used as a title, likely metaphorically representing an aspect of nature or behavior.