hyena

or hy·ae·na

[ hahy-ee-nuh ]

/ haɪˈi nə /

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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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM hyena

hy·e·nic, hy·e·nine

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

Words nearby hyena

hydroxyurea, hydroxyzine, hydrozincite, hydrozoan, Hydrus, hyena, hyenoid, Hyères, hyetal, hyeto-, hyetograph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hyena in a sentence

With habitat restored, people in the region began to hear the cries of hyenas at night, a welcome return, Duguma says.
Mixing trees and crops can help both farmers and the climate|Jonathan Lambert|July 14, 2021|Science News
Imagine the Serengeti with fewer lions or hyenas — or none at all.
Only 3 percent of Earth’s land is unchanged by people|Jonathan Lambert|May 28, 2021|Science News For Students
Lions, hyenas and other top predators still stalk herds of wildebeests over a million strong, preventing them from eating too much vegetation.
Only 3 percent of Earth’s land hasn’t been marred by humans|Jonathan Lambert|April 15, 2021|Science News
A Serengeti with fewer lions or hyenas — or none at all — may look intact from space, but it’s missing key species that help the whole ecosystem run.
Only 3 percent of Earth’s land hasn’t been marred by humans|Jonathan Lambert|April 15, 2021|Science News

A new documentary series called Diamonds in the Sand captured the monthlong journey, which involved surviving heat, headwinds, and wildlife like hyenas, elephants, and lions.
Kate Leeming Travels Namibia’s Skeleton Coast by Bike|Outside Editors|April 7, 2021|Outside Online
When this had been accomplished, Hlakanyana ate all the meat in the pot, and threw the bones at the Hyena.
Nights With Uncle Remus|Joel Chandler Harris
It's no wonder he drinks, hitched up to a cantankerous old hyena like that.
Quin|Alice Hegan Rice
This species, though smaller than the striped hyena, is of a fiercer nature and more dangerous.
The Vee-Boers|Mayne Reid
With something like a feeling of satisfied vengeance, the young hunter saw the hyena roll over dead.
The Vee-Boers|Mayne Reid
There is this also in their habit of pursuing their prey in packs, which renders them much more formidable than the hyena.
The Vee-Boers|Mayne Reid

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 of hyena

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

hyena

or hy·ae·na

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of hyena

OTHER WORDS FROM hyena

Words nearby hyena

Words related to hyena

How to use hyena in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hyena

hyaena

Derived forms of hyena

Word Origin for hyena