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striped hyena

striped hyena

6.7
A medium-sized wild animal with sandy gray fur and black stripes that lives in Africa, Arabia and India
  • noun
  • /ˈstraɪpt haɪˈiːnə/
translation icon : hiena rayada
  • The striped hyena is nocturnal and avoids human settlements whenever possible.

Examples

  • Unlike its spotted relative, the striped hyena is more solitary by nature.

  • Conservationists are concerned about declining striped hyena populations due to habitat loss.

  • The striped hyena is known for its unique appearance.

  • In the wild, striped hyenas hunt in packs.

  • Conservationists are concerned about declining striped hyena populations due to habitat loss.

  • The striped hyena is nocturnal and avoids human settlements whenever possible.

  • Unlike its spotted relative, the striped hyena is more solitary by nature.

Synonyms

Hyaena hyaena
vsstriped hyena
  • Specialized
9.9

A medium-sized meat-eating animal with stripes that lives in northern Africa, Arabia, and India

is the common name that notes coat color and native regions

Surface Forms

striped hyena singular

Morphology

striped + hyena

The phrase 'striped hyena' is a straightforward adjective + noun description whose meaning (a hyena that has stripes) is directly and transparently derived from 'striped' and 'hyena'. This is a common cross-linguistic compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Striped hyena gets its name from the animal's look: its sandy fur has dark vertical stripes, so people called it the striped hyena. Because these stripes are the clear feature, the name simply means the hyena with stripes and helps people tell it from the 'spotted' hyena.