Word
hyena
Phoneticshye·na
US/haɪˈinə/
UK/haɪˈiːnɐ/
Definition
n. a wild animal from Africa or Asia that looks like a large dog and often eats the remains of animals killed by others.
n. any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, noted for their scavenging habits and distinctive vocalizations.
Examples
“The hyena ran across the African plains at night.”
“While often seen as scavengers, hyenas are actually skilled hunters that work together in large groups to take down large prey.”
“The documentary explored the complex social hierarchy of the hyena clan, revealing that the females hold a dominant position over the males, a rare trait in the animal kingdom.”
Examples
simple
“The hyena ran across the African plains at night.”
contextual
“While often seen as scavengers, hyenas are actually skilled hunters that work together in large groups to take down large prey.”
complex
“The documentary explored the complex social hierarchy of the hyena clan, revealing that the females hold a dominant position over the males, a rare trait in the animal kingdom.”
Teaching tip
While they look like dogs, hyenas are biologically more closely related to cats and mongooses.
Real-World Examples
“Hyenas and jackals steal food all the time.” Etymology
From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hyena