from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.] (Zool.)
Any carnivorous mammal of the family {Hy[ae]nid[ae]}, doglike
nocturnal mammals of Africa and southern Asia, 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}.]
Syn: hyaena.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The striped hyena ({Hy[ae]na striata}) inhabits
Southern Asia and a large part of Africa. The brown
hyena ({Hy[ae]na brunnea}), and the spotted hyena
({Crocuta maculata}), are found in Southern Africa. The
extinct cave hyena ({Hy[ae]na spel[ae]a}) inhabited
England and France.
[1913 Webster]
{Cave hyena}. See under {Cave}.
{Hyena dog} (Zool.), 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}.
[1913 Webster]