Definition of HYENA

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There are three species of hyena— doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa. Actually more closely related to cats than to dogs, hyenas have coarse fur, four toes on each foot, long forelegs, claws that do not retract, and enormously strong jaws and teeth. They live alone or in packs and may be active by night or day. Hyenas are noted for scavenging but will also attack live prey. The spotted, or laughing, hyena, whose calls alternately resemble wailing and maniacal laughter, ranges through much of sub-Saharan Africa. Yellowish or grayish with dark spots, it is about 6½ ft (1.8 m) long, including the 12-in (30-cm) tail, and weighs up to 175 lb (80 kg). The hyena has been known to attack people and even to carry off young children.

Examples of hyena in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Archaeologist Sally Hoare points out that predators were bigger, like Pachycrocuta, the largest hyena to ever walk the earth, and Agriotherium, a carnivorous bear nearly twice the size of a lion. — Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, "Monkeys’ Attraction to Burned Grasslands May Offer Clues to Human Ancestors’ Mastery of Fire," 10 Aug. 2020 Allison rescued big cats from a man in Texas who kept a lion and a hyena in his backyard behind a shooting range. — Allie Morris, Dallas News, "Curious Texas: Netflix series ‘Tiger King’ showcased the drama and entertainment of the big cat world," 27 May 2020 Oh, to be on a wildlife reserve in Zimbabwe, living among cheetahs and hyenas and gazing up every night at a wild, watercolor sky. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "All The Good Stuff that happened this week," 24 Apr. 2020 At the time, neighbors claimed to reporters and to law enforcement officials that Mr. Yates had bear cubs, Rottweilers, rabbits, hyenas, monkeys, snakes, a llama, a tarantula and even a young lion. — Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, "A 425-Pound Tiger Living in a Harlem Apartment? Yes, It Happened," 18 Apr. 2020 That sense of levity marks the series’ first seven episodes, which include deep-dive looks at hyenas, ants and cheetahs. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, "Hyena penises. Mating macaques. Quibi’s first nature series isn’t afraid to be ‘cheeky’," 6 Apr. 2020 Here visitors learn how Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren rescue and rehabilitate animals ranging from orphaned rhinos to injured cheetahs, hyenas, and elephants. — National Geographic, "On the rise: 20 trending destinations for 2020," 29 Jan. 2020 Look no further than HQ’s relationship with her pet hyena to know Robbie works very well off of CGI exotic animals. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "In An Absolute Wild Card Move, Margot Robbie Could Have A Part In Tiger King Movie," 1 Apr. 2020 Alligators are banned in the Ohio, thanks to Senate Bill 310, which prohibits the possession of hyenas, lions, tigers, alligators, bears and several other wild animals. — Francisco Guzman And Saeed Ahmed, CNN, "Police find a fully grown alligator living in the basement of an Ohio home," 2 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hyena.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.