noun
hyena
heye-EE-nuh
noun
1
A medium-to-large carnivorous mammal native to Africa and Asia, known for a call that sounds like laughing.
"A pack of hyenas circled the lion's kill, waiting for scraps."
How to Use Hyena
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA scavenging African/Asian carnivore famous for its laugh-like call.
Common pairings
pack of hyenas
laughing hyena
spotted hyena
Word Forms
hyenas plural, hyena plural, hyenae plural
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A pack of _____ circled the lion's kill, waiting for scraps.
Etymology
From Old French hiene, from Latin hyaena, ultimately from Greek hyaina — related to hys, meaning "pig," possibly from a resemblance in the animal's bristled back.