Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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}.