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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Hyena


HYE'NA, noun [Latin hyaena.] A quadruped of the genus Canis, having small naked ears, four toes on each foot, a straight jointed tail, and erect hair on the neck; an inhabitant of Asiatic Turkey, Syria, Persia and Barbary. It is a solitary animal, and feeds on flesh; it preys on flocks and herds, and will open graves to obtain food. It is a fierce, cruel and untamable animal, and is sometimes called the tiger-wolf.