3  definitions  found 
 
  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  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  hyena 
  n  :  doglike  nocturnal  mammal  of  Africa  and  southern  Asia  that 
  feeds  chiefly  on  carrion  [syn:  {hyaena}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  HYENA,  n.  A  beast  held  in  reverence  by  some  oriental  nations  from  its 
  habit  of  frequenting  at  night  the  burial-places  of  the  dead.  But  the 
  medical  student  does  that 
 
 

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