Cave n.
 1. A hollow place in the earth, either natural or artificial; a subterraneous cavity; a cavern; a den.
 2. Any hollow place, or part; a cavity. [Obs.] “The cave of the ear.”
 3. Eng. Politics A coalition or group of seceders from a political party, as from the Liberal party in England in 1866. See Adullam, Cave of, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.
 Cave bear Zool., a very large fossil bear (Ursus spelæus) similar to the grizzly bear, but large; common in European caves.
 Cave dweller, a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling place was a cave. --Tylor.
 Cave hyena Zool., a fossil hyena found abundanty in British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of the living African spotted hyena.
 Cave lion Zool., a fossil lion found in the caves of Europe, believed to be a large variety of the African lion.
 Bone cave. See under Bone.


 Hy·e·na n.; pl. Hyenas   Zool. Any carnivorous mammal of the family Hyænidæ, doglike nocturnal mammals of Africa and southern Asia, 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.]
 Syn: -- hyaena.
 Note: ☞ The striped hyena (Hyæna striata) inhabits Southern Asia and a large part of Africa.  The brown hyena (Hyæna brunnea), and the spotted hyena (Crocuta maculata), are found in Southern Africa.  The extinct cave hyena (Hyæna spelæa) inhabited England and France.
 Cave hyena. See under Cave.
 Hyena dog Zool., 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.

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