mid-14c., from Old French hiene, from Latin hyaena, from Greek hyaina "swine" (fem.), from hys "pig" + fem. suffix -aina. So called for its bristles. Applied to cruel, treacherous, and greedy persons since at least 1670s. Adjectival forms that have been attempted in English include hyenaish, hyenaesque, hyenic, hyenine.
实用例句
1. African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.
非洲鬣狗,以其特别的嚎叫而闻名.来自《简明英汉词典》
2. The savanna is also the home of meat - eaters — the lion, leopard, and hyena who feed on the grasseaters.
