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

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

"We never had wild animal attacks before... after prosopis spread, lions, hyenas, wild cats and foxes invaded our villages," Mohammed said.

From Barron's

Rare hyena behaviours have been caught on camera, including a mother-to-be trying to steal food from wild dogs and outsmarting rivals by hiding a stolen carcass underwater to mask its scent.

From BBC

The reaction was unsurprising as the Somali-speaking nomadic community earn their living by raising livestock, which are often threatened by predators such as cheetahs, leopards, lions, and hyenas.

From BBC

He set up his camera trap after spotting fresh hyena tracks in the ghost town of Kolmanskop, Namibia.

From BBC

Related Words

• mutt
• pooch
• pup