hyena

or hy·ae·na

[ hahy-ee-nuh ]

/ haɪˈi nə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hyena ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

Nearby words

hydroxyzine, hydrozincite, hydrozoan, hydruria, hydrus, hyena, hyenoid, hyetal, hyeto-, hyetograph, hyetography

Compare brown hyena, spotted hyena, striped hyena.

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

Related forms

hy·e·nic, hy·e·nine

[hahy-ee-nahyn, -nin] /haɪˈi naɪn, -nɪn/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hyena

A third species is very distinct from either of the two described—the “spotted hyena” (Hyena crocuta).
The Bush Boys|Captain Mayne Reid
“Here goes,” Bob murmured, and taking careful aim at the hyena he fired.
The Forest of Mystery|James H. Foster
I was kept awake part of last night by the howling of a hyena, about ten yards from the tent.
Sport in Abyssinia|Dermot Mayo
So the mantle was spread upon the red earth, the hyena and the jackal standing on each side of it.
The Orange Fairy Book|Various

The South African panther is a cowardly animal, and, like the hyena, flies from the face of man.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10, Issue 267, August 4, 1827|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hyena

hyena

hyaena

/ (haɪˈiːnə) /

noun

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

Derived Forms

hyenic or hyaenic, adjective

Word Origin for hyena

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin hyaena, from Greek huaina, from hus hog

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012