hyena
pronunciation
How to pronounce hyena in British English:
UK [haɪ'i:nə]
How to pronounce hyena in American English:
US [haɪˈinə]
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- Noun:
- doglike nocturnal mammal of Africa and southern Asia that feeds chiefly on carrion
Word Origin
- hyena
- hyena: see sow
- hyena (n.)
- mid-14c., from Old French hiene, from Latin hyaena, from Greek hyaina "swine" (fem.), from hys "pig" + fem. suffix -aina. So called for its bristles. Applied to cruel, treacherous, and greedy persons since at least 1670s. Adjectival forms that have been attempted in English include hyenaish, hyenaesque, hyenic, hyenine.
Example
- 1. Our guide ami identified several species including hyena and leopard .
- 2. The female hyena , which is more physically aggressive than her male counterpart , has higher testosterone levels than the male does .
- 3. I hear a woman yell like a hyena .
- 4. It 's like a hyena laugh .
- 5. Jackal and hyena are common scavengers .