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Hyena
- 4 dictionary resultshy⋅e⋅na
[hahy-ee-nuh] 
–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. |
Also, hyaena.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME hiena < ML hyēna, L hyaena < Gk hýaina, equiv. to hy- (s. of hŷs) hog + -aina fem. suffix; r. ME hyane, hyene < MF hiene < L
1350–1400; ME hiena < ML hyēna, L hyaena < Gk hýaina, equiv. to hy- (s. of hŷs) hog + -aina fem. suffix; r. ME hyane, hyene < MF hiene < L
Related forms:
hy⋅e⋅nic, hy⋅e⋅nine [hahy-ee-nahyn, -nin] , adjective
[hahy-ee-nahyn, -nin] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To Hyena
| hy·e·na also hy·ae·na (hī-ē'nə) n. Any of several carnivorous mammals of the family Hyaenidae of Africa and Asia, which feed as scavengers and have powerful jaws, relatively short hind limbs, and coarse hair. [Middle English hiena, from Old French hiene, from Latin hyaena, from Greek huaina, feminine of hūs, swine (from its bristly mane like a hog's); see sū- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Hyena
Hy*e"na\, n.; pl. Hyenas. [L. hyaena, Gr. ?, orig., a sow, but usually, a Libyan wild beast, prob., the hyena, fr. ? hog: cf. F. hy[`e]ne. See Sow female hog.] (Zo["o]l.) Any carnivorous mammal of the family Hy[ae]nid[ae], of which three living species are known. They are large and strong, but cowardly. They feed chiefly on carrion, and are nocturnal in their habits. [Written also hy[ae]na.] Note: The striped hyena (Hy[ae]na striata) inhabits Southern Asia and a large part of Africa. The brown hyena (H. brunnea), and the spotted hyena (Crocuta maculata), are found in Southern Africa. The extinct cave hyena (H. spel[ae]a) inhabited England and France. Cave hyena. See under Cave. Hyena dog (Zo["o]l.), a South African canine animal (Lycaon venaticus), which hunts in packs, chiefly at night. It is smaller than the common wolf, with very large, erect ears, and a bushy tail. Its color is reddish or yellowish brown, blotched with black and white. Called also hunting dog.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Hyena
Spanish:
hiena,
German:
die Hyäne,
Japanese:
ハイエナ
hyena
1340, from O.Fr. hiene, from L. hyaena, from Gk. hyaina "swine" (fem.), from hys "pig." Applied to cruel, treacherous, and greedy persons since at least 1671.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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