hyena

American  

[hahy-ee-nuh] / haɪˈi nə /

Or hyaena

noun

1. a doglike carnivore of the family Hyaenidae, of Africa, southwestern Asia, and south central Asia, having a coarse coat, a sloping back, and large teeth and feeding chiefly on carrion, often in packs.

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hyena British  

/ haɪˈiːnə /

noun

1. any of several long-legged carnivorous doglike mammals of the genera Hyaena and Crocuta, such as C. crocuta ( spotted or laughing hyena ), of Africa and S Asia: family Hyaenidae, order Carnivora (carnivores) See also strandwolf

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Other Word Forms

• hyenic adjective
• hyenine adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyena

1350–1400; Middle English hiena < Medieval Latin hyēna, Latin hyaena < Greek hýaina, equivalent to hy- (stem of hŷs ) hog + -aina feminine suffix; replacing Middle English hyane, hyene < Middle French hiene < Latin

Compare meaning

How does hyena compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• jackal vs. hyena

Example Sentences

In drought-hit northeastern Kenya, villagers have been forced to drag their dead livestock to distant fields for burning to keep the stench of death and scavenging hyenas away from their homes.

From Barron's

The subjects seem to know the meaning of boundaries, not only regarding the size of their competition or the dangers of lions, hyenas and other potential predators.

From The Wall Street Journal

I look that way and oops, there’s Gene, doing his best impression of a fixated hyena or grizzly or something.

From Literature

“Or a wee child. But you seem to have pluck, governess, and the girl is as fierce as a hyena, as I recall. Does she track prey as well as her brothers do?”

From Literature

Season 2 promotes Moore, still riding a career renaissance, from an underutilized background player to the woman charged with keeping the hyenas at bay.

From Salon

Related Words

• mutt
• pooch
• pup