Illustration of hyrax
: any of a family (Procaviidae) of small ungulate mammals of Africa and the Middle East characterized by thickset body with short legs and ears and rudimentary tail, feet with soft pads and broad nails, and teeth of which the molars resemble those of the rhinoceros and the incisors those of rodents
called also coney, dassie
Examples of hyrax in a Sentence
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Two species of hyrax in East Africa share the same sleeping holes, make use of common latrines, and raise their young in communal play groups.
—
James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Birdlife is profuse and there’s a chance of spotting sea lions, dolphins, blue duiker antelope, hyrax and the cape clawless otters that give the trail its name.
—Joe Yogerst, CNN, 3 May 2023
Sticky and viscous like molasses, hyrax urine hardens quickly in air.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 14 Mar. 2023
To find out more about the evolutionary history of LIF and its duplicates, Lynch found their counterparts in the genomes of closely related species: manatees, hyraxes and extinct mammoths and mastodons.
—Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2017
Many hyraxes have taken residence within its walls and can be seen scrambling along the ruins during the cooler parts of the day.
—National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
The largest sea lions are twice as big as the largest bears, for example, and manatees outweigh their cat-size hyrax cousins by nearly 500 kilograms.
—Angus Chen, Science | AAAS, 26 Mar. 2018
Besides giraffes, the African exhibit will include a lion, hyrax, wildebeest and tortoise.
—The Associated Press, The Seattle Times, 29 May 2017
Ilany studies the rock hyrax, an African rodent-like mammal that isn’t monogamous but whose sexes look the same.
—National Geographic, 20 Feb. 2016
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James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Birdlife is profuse and there’s a chance of spotting sea lions, dolphins, blue duiker antelope, hyrax and the cape clawless otters that give the trail its name.
—Joe Yogerst, CNN, 3 May 2023
Sticky and viscous like molasses, hyrax urine hardens quickly in air.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 14 Mar. 2023
To find out more about the evolutionary history of LIF and its duplicates, Lynch found their counterparts in the genomes of closely related species: manatees, hyraxes and extinct mammoths and mastodons.
—Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2017
Many hyraxes have taken residence within its walls and can be seen scrambling along the ruins during the cooler parts of the day.
—National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
The largest sea lions are twice as big as the largest bears, for example, and manatees outweigh their cat-size hyrax cousins by nearly 500 kilograms.
—Angus Chen, Science | AAAS, 26 Mar. 2018
Besides giraffes, the African exhibit will include a lion, hyrax, wildebeest and tortoise.
—The Associated Press, The Seattle Times, 29 May 2017
Ilany studies the rock hyrax, an African rodent-like mammal that isn’t monogamous but whose sexes look the same.
—National Geographic, 20 Feb. 2016
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Cite this Entry
“Hyrax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyrax. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hyrax
noun
hy·rax
ˈhī-ˌraks 
plural hyraxes
-ˌrak-səz
also hyraces
-rə-ˌsēz
: any of several small mammals of Africa and the Middle East that have a thickset body with short ears, legs, and tail and feet with soft pads and broad nails
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