Definition of Hiena
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. hyène. See Sow female hog.]
(Zoöl.) Any carnivorous mammal of the family
Hyænidæ, 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
hyæna.]
&fist; The striped hyena (Hyæna 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.
spelæa) inhabited England and France.
Cave hyena. See under Cave. --
Hyena dog (Zoöl.), 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 Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
HYENA, n. A beast held in reverence by some oriental nations from its
habit of frequenting at night the burial-places of the dead. But the
medical student does that.
- 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
- A large carnivore of the family Hyaenidae, similar in appearance to a dog and native to Africa and Asia, best known for the laugh-like sound it makes when threatened.
Swedish
- hyena
- The Nuttall Encyclopedia
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