noun
hyena
hy-EE-nuh/haɪˈiːnə/
A meat-eating mammal with powerful jaws and a sloping back.
The hyena cracks a bone with its powerful jaws.
Etymology
Greek hyaina apparently derives from hys, “pig,” with a feminine ending. The suggested naming connection is the animal’s bristles, which invited comparison with a pig.
In context
the hungry opportunists are on the scene leopards usually give way to the Hyena's fearsome Jaws but the first hyena to locate the kill is a youngster
More examples
- A hyena’s back slopes down toward its hind legs.
- Several hyenas gather around the remains of an antelope.
- Spotted hyenas make calls that sound like laughter.
Forms
hyena · hyenas