HMS Tiger and the battlecruiser-hunter argument

Was HMS Tiger designed primarily as a battlecruiser hunter rather than a conventional cruiser-killer?

Yes. Tiger's layout, machinery, and six-inch armament fit a purpose of engaging enemy battlecruisers more closely than the earlier distant-station role.

Battlecruisers built for reconnaissance, economic warfare, and brushing aside lesser ships had different needs from a ship intended to defeat opposing battlecruisers. Four-inch weapons are efficient against merchant ships, while six-inch guns become more attractive against targets able to resist. Secondary armament is one element of the larger design pattern. Tiger's machinery arrangement, weapon layout, contemporary description, and six-inch battery together support the more combat-focused interpretation.