What does hyrax mean?
A hyrax is a small, stocky, nearly tailless mammal with short ears, short limbs, and a compact body, occurring in rocky or wooded habitats in Africa and the Middle East. Members of the order Hyracoidea include the familiar rock hyrax, also called a dassie, and the tree hyrax. Hyraxes are not rodents: they are afrotherians, an evolutionary grouping that also includes elephants and manatees. In English, “hyrax” is chiefly a zoological and wildlife-conservation term, often appearing in discussions of Arabian wildlife and species such as the mountain or tree hyrax. Although usually described as small, hyraxes have conspicuous incisors and can be alert, vocal, and highly social. The word is relatively uncommon in ordinary conversation, so “dassie” is more familiar in southern Africa, while “coney” has older and potentially misleading associations. The name has a classical lineage, entering English through Latin from Ancient Greek, where a related term referred to a small, shrew-like animal rather than clearly identifying the modern zoological group.
nounA hyrax is any member of Hyracoidea, a group of small, nearly tailless mammals native to Africa and the Middle East, with short ears, short limbs, and compact bodies. Hyraxes are afrotherians and are not rodents.
- Any of the small, nearly tailless mammals constituting the order Hyracoidea, including the rock, tree, and mountain hyraxes.
"A rock hyrax emerged cautiously from between the boulders to bask in the morning sun."
"The rock hyrax colony gathered on the sunny ledges above the ravine."
"The mountain hyrax remained motionless among the stones until the hikers had passed."
Both plural forms are established, although hyraxes is more commonly used in modern English.
"Several hyraxes were visible on the sunlit hillside."
The hyrax looks rodent-sized, but it is an afrotherian—an evolutionary branch that also includes elephants and manatees.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hyrax come from?
English hyrax was borrowed through Latin from Ancient Greek ὑραξ (húrax), a term used in antiquity for a small animal that was later understood as shrew-like. The ancient Greek term did not unambiguously denote the modern hyrax. The precise zoological meaning developed through later European scientific usage.
How hyrax is actually used
The word is relatively uncommon in general English and occurs chiefly in zoology, wildlife conservation, biblical scholarship, and regional wildlife writing. It should not be used as a synonym for a rabbit or a rodent.
Easily confused with hyrax
In modern English, coney usually means a rabbit, although it was also used historically for a hyrax.