Cackle
collective noun /ˈkækəl/ — What you call a group of hyenas — named for the sound that defines them.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of hyenas. The hyena's distinctive vocalisation — a high, broken laugh used for communication across long distances — gives the collective noun its name.
Beyond the definition
Hyenas are the most misunderstood large carnivores in Africa. They're actually sophisticated social animals with matriarchal hierarchies, cooperative hunting, and an elaborate communication system. Their 'laugh' isn't laughter — it's a nuanced signal. But it sounds exactly like a cackle. The collective noun is wrong about what it means and perfectly right about what it sounds like.
Origin & history
From Middle Low German kakelen — to chatter, cackle (imitative). The sound of hyena communication — specifically the giggle vocalization — gave rise to the collective noun naturally.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A cackle of spotted hyenas had surrounded the lion's kill before the pride could return.
She heard the cackle before dark — a rising chorus from the ridge.
The documentary followed one cackle of hyenas for an entire year.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Cackle” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of hyenas. The hyena's distinctive vocalisation — a high, broken laugh used for communication across long distances — gives the collective noun its name.
Synonyms
group, clan, pack, band
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
Night drives across the Serengeti often end the same way. The guide switches off the engine. The group waits. And then, from somewhere close but invisible, the sound begins: a giggling, escalating, deeply unsettling sound from the dark.
Hyenas. A cackle of hyenas.
"People always say it's scary," the guide said. "But once you understand — they're not laughing at you. They're talking to each other. It's their whole language." The darkness made no difference to the sound. The sound made the darkness different.
Questions about this word
What does "Cackle" mean?
Cackle is collective noun meaning: What you call a group of hyenas — named for the sound that defines them.. The collective noun for a group of hyenas. The hyena's distinctive vocalisation — a high, broken laugh used for communication across long distances — gives the collective noun its name.
Where does the word "Cackle" come from?
From Middle Low German kakelen — to chatter, cackle (imitative). The sound of hyena communication — specifically the giggle vocalization — gave rise to the collective noun naturally.