Hypertext Webster Gateway: "hyena"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
hyena
n : doglike nocturnal mammal of Africa and southern Asia that
feeds chiefly on carrion [syn: {hyaena}]
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