rock hyrax

noun

variants or less commonly rock dassie

: a diurnal, terrestrial hyrax (Procavia capensis) of Africa and the Middle East that frequents rocky, scrub-covered areas

Also residing in the kopje are rock hyraxes—small, social mammals that look like rodents but are more closely related to elephants, as their tusklike incisors attest.—

Deborah A. Besch

Note: There are several subspecies of rock hyraxes that are sometimes regarded as distinct species. The rock hyrax of the Middle East is the coney of the Old Testament.

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of rock hyrax was in 1903

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rock hyrax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock%20hyrax. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

negotiate

Listen to the pronunciation of negotiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!