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Glite Dictionary
laughing hyena

laughing hyena

1 6.1
A large African animal with spots that makes a laugh-like call
  • noun
  • /ˈlæfɪŋ haɪˈinə/
  • South African
translation icon : hiena risueña
  • At night, the laughing hyena can be heard echoing through the dark, creating a haunting yet fascinating atmosphere.

Examples

  • When the tourists heard the sound of a laughing hyena, they were amazed by its similarity to human laughter.

  • A laughing hyena.

    Trader Horn (1931)

  • The documentary featured a laughing hyena making its distinctive call as it roamed the African savannah.

Synonyms

hyena
vslaughing hyena
15 2.7

A large doglike animal from Africa or southern Asia that often eats dead animals

is specific to the African species known for a human-like vocal sound
spotted hyena
vslaughing hyena
  • South African
5.1

A large African animal that eats meat, has spots, and makes loud calls that sound like laughter

is known for a human-like vocal sound rather than a simple howl
Crocuta crocuta
vslaughing hyena
  • South African
9.9

A large spotted African animal that eats meat and lives in groups

is the common name highlighting the species' human-like vocal sound
hyaena
vslaughing hyena
  • Archaic
6.1

A doglike animal from Africa and Asia that is active at night and eats dead animals

is the name for a particular African species noted for a human-like vocal sound

Surface Forms

laughing hyena singular
laughing hyenas plural

Morphology

laughing + hyena

The meaning is directly compositional: 'laughing' modifies 'hyena', so it denotes a hyena characterized by a laughing call. This follows a common adjective+noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the phrase.

Etymology

Laughing hyena gets its name from the strange calls the animal makes that sound like human laughter, so people called the hyena 'laughing' and the name now makes us think of its eerie giggle even though the animal is a fierce hunter.