Search the Dictionary

A hyena. [Obs.] Shak.

Any carnivorous mammal of the family Hyænidæ, 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 hyæna.]

A carnivorous quadruped (Proteles Lalandii), of South Africa, resembling the fox and hyena. See Proteles.

A group of the Carnivora, which includes the cats, civets, and hyenas.

Dung of dogs or hyenas, which becomes white by exposure to air. It is used in dressing leather, and was formerly used in medicine.

To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise. Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. Milton

e dweller, a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling place was a cave. Tylor. -- Cave hyena (Zoöl.), a fossil hyena found abundanty in British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of the living African spotted hyena. -- Cave lion (Zoöl.), a fossil lion found in the caves of Europe, believed to be a large…

Characteristic of a ghoul; vampirelike; hyenalike.

preventing the frequent meeting of the same pairs of teeth. -- Hunting dog (Zoöl.), the hyena dog. -- Hunting ground, a region or district abounding in game; esp. (pl.), the regions roamed over by the North American Indians in search of game. -- Hunting horn, a bulge; a horn used in the chase. See Horn, and Bulge.…

Same as Hyena.

d is nearly black, the back slate color, and the five outer primaries black. -- Laughing hyena (Zoöl.), the spotted hyena. See Hyena. -- Laughing jackass (Zoöl.), the great brown kingfisher (Dacelo gigas), of Australia; -- called also giant kingfisher, and gogobera. -- Laughing owl (Zoöl.), a peculiar owl (Sceloglau…

A South Africa genus of Carnivora, allied to the hyenas, but smaller and having weaker jaws and teeth. It includes the aard-wolf.

Zoöl.), a black-bellied plover. See Illust. of Plover. -- Strand wolf (Zoöl.), the brown hyena.

iger in color and markings. Called also tiger cowrie. -- Tiger wolf (Zoöl.), the spotted hyena (Hyæna crocuta). -- Tiger wood, the variegated heartwood of a tree (Machærium Schomburgkii) found in Guiana.

coyote. -- Sea wolf. (Zoöl.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Strand wolf (Zoöl.) the striped hyena. -- Tasmanian wolf (Zoöl.), the zebra wolf. -- Tiger wolf (Zoöl.), the spotted hyena. -- To keep the wolf from the door, to keep away poverty; to prevent starvation. See Wolf, 3, above. Tennyson. -- Wolf dog. (Zoöl.) (a)…