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Added 10 October 2026

hyena

/haɪˈiːnə/ noun

In Latin: hyaena Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hyena at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.
A man that performs ritualized sex acts with recently widowed women and menarchal girls.

Origin

From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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