Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [hahy-ee-nuh]
- /haɪˈi nə/
- /haɪˈiː.nə/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hahy-ee-nuh]
- /haɪˈi nə/
Definitions of hyena word
- noun hyena a doglike carnivore of the family Hyaenidae, of Africa, southwestern Asia, and south central Asia, having a coarse coat, a sloping back, and large teeth and feeding chiefly on carrion, often in packs. 1
- noun hyena A doglike African mammal with forelimbs that are longer than the hind limbs and an erect mane. Hyenas are noted as scavengers but most are also effective hunters. 1
- noun hyena wild mammal 1
- countable noun hyena A hyena is an animal that looks rather like a dog and makes a sound which is similar to a human laugh. Hyenas live in Africa and Asia. 0
- noun hyena any of several long-legged carnivorous doglike mammals of the genera Hyaena and Crocuta, such as C. crocuta (spotted or laughing hyena), of Africa and S Asia: family Hyaenidae, order Carnivora (carnivores) 0
- noun hyena any of various wolflike carnivores (family Hyaenidae) of Africa and Asia, with powerful jaws, a bristly mane, short hind legs, and a characteristic shrill cry: hyenas feed on carrion and are thought of as cowardly 0
Information block about the term
Origin of hyena
First appearance:
before 1350 One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English hiena < Medieval Latin hyēna, Latin hyaena < Greek hýaina, equivalent to hy- (stem of hŷs) hog + -aina feminine suffix; replacing Middle English hyane, hyene < Middle French hiene < Latin
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Hyena
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
hyena popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 96% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
hyena usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for hyena
noun hyena
- mutt — a dog, especially a mongrel.
- cur — A cur is an unfriendly dog, especially a mongrel.
- wolf — any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range.
- chow — Food can be referred to as chow.
- hound — Nautical. either of a pair of fore-and-aft members at the lower end of the head of a mast, for supporting the trestletrees, that support an upper mast at its heel. Compare cheek (def 12).
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