In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
HYENA
hyena, hyaena
(noun) doglike nocturnal mammal of Africa and southern Asia that feeds chiefly on carrion
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
hyena (plural hyenas or hyena or hyenae)
Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the subfamily Hyaeninae (genera Hyaena and Crocuta), native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.
(Sub-Saharan Africa) A man that performs ritualized sex acts with recently widowed women and menarchal girls.
• see hyena
Usage notes
The hyena family, Hyaenidae, also includes the smaller insectivorous aardwolf, the sole survivor of a lineage regarded as more dog-like.
Anagrams
• Haney, Hayne
Source: Wiktionary
Hy*e"na, n.; pl. Hyenas. Etym: [L. hyaena, Gr. hyène. See Sow female hog.] (Zoöl.)
Definition: Any carnivorous mammal of the family Hyænidæ, of which three living species are known. They are large and strong, but cowardly. They feed chiefly on carrion, and are nocturnal in their habits. [Written also hyæna.]
Note: The striped hyena (Hyæna striata) inhabits Southern Asia and a large part of Africa. The brown hyena (H. brunnea), and the spotted hyena (Crocuta maculata), are found in Southern Africa. The extinct cave hyena (H. spelæa) inhabited England and France. Cave hyena. See under Cave.
– Hyena dog (Zoöl.), a South African canine animal (Lycaon venaticus), which hunts in packs, chiefly at night. It is smaller than the common wolf, with very large, erect ears, and a bushy tail. Its color is reddish or yellowish brown, blotched with black and white. Called also hunting dog.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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19 June 2025
ROOTS
(noun) the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage; “his roots in Texas go back a long way”; “he went back to Sweden to search for his roots”; “his music has African roots”
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