hyena dog
- noun
- /haɪˈinə dɔg/
- South African
:
perro salvaje
- Wildlife photographers spent weeks tracking a pack of hyena dogs in Botswana.
Examples
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The hyena dog is known for its highly coordinated hunting techniques.
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The hyena dog is known for its unique coat pattern.
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Once common, the hyena dog has become rare due to habitat loss.
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Many hyena dogs hunt in packs for better success.
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The hyena dog is a remarkable hunter that works with its pack to catch prey.
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In the savannah, a group of hyena dogs can be seen strategizing their next hunt.
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The hyena dog is often recognized by its distinctive markings and social behavior.
Synonyms
A large wild dog from Africa that lives and hunts in packs
A large wild dog from Africa with a mottled coat that hunts in packs
A wild African dog with a coat of patches and large rounded ears that hunts in packs
A large wild dog from southern and eastern Africa that hunts in packs
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
hyena + dog
The compound is a straightforward noun–noun combination, so a learner who knows 'hyena' and 'dog' would likely infer it refers to a dog associated with or resembling a hyena. However, the actual referent (the African wild dog/painted wolf) and the zoological mismatch (hyenas are not true dogs) make the precise meaning somewhat misleading and not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Hyena dog probably comes from early people who thought this animal looked like a mix of a hyena and a dog. Because it moved and hunted like a dog but had different colors and strange calls, the name stayed for the large wild dog of Africa, the 'African wild dog' or 'painted wolf'.