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Definition of hyrax

hyrax

/ˈhaɪ.ræks/
hy · rax
Plural:hyraxes
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hyrax Lexical Profile

hyrax Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, heavily built, herbivorous mammal of the order Hyracoidea, native to Africa and the Middle East, characterized by a short tail and hoof-like nails, and phylogenetically closely related to elephants and sirenians.

Example

"While hiking in South Africa, we spotted a rock hyrax basking in the sun near the edge of the cliff."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for hyrax

• Rhymes for hyrax

• Nearby Words

hypothetically
hypoxis
hypsilophodon
hyrax
hyssop
hysterectomy
hysteria

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Ancient Greek 'húrax' (ὕραξ), meaning 'shrewmouse'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hyrax. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hyrax
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