hyena
or hy·ae·na
[ hahy-ee-nuh ]
/ haɪˈi nə /
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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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/, adjectiveWords nearby hyena
hydroxyzine, hydrozincite, hydrozoan, hydruria, hydrus, hyena, hyenoid, hyetal, hyeto-, hyetograph, hyetography
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for hyena
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, adjectiveWord Origin for hyena
C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin hyaena, from Greek huaina, from hus hog
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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