raccoon

ra·coon

[ra-koon]

noun

plural

raccoons ,

plural

raccoon .

1. a nocturnal omnivore, Procyon lotor, the largest member of the family Procyonidae, having a masklike black stripe across the eyes, a sharp snout, a bushy, ringed tail, and very dexterous front paws, native to North and Central America and introduced elsewhere for its valuable fur: more than 20 subspecies have been named.

2. the thick, brownish-gray fur of this animal, with gray, black-tipped guard hairs.

3. any of various related animals of the genus Procyon, of Central American islands, some now rare.

raccoon

/ rəˈkuːn /

noun

1. any omnivorous mammal of the genus Procyon , esp P. lotor ( North American raccoon ), inhabiting forests of North and Central America and the Caribbean: family Procyonidae , order Carnivora (carnivores). Raccoons have a pointed muzzle, long tail, and greyish-black fur with black bands around the tail and across the face

2. the fur of the North American raccoon

Word History and Origins

Origin of raccoon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1600–10; from Virginia Algonquian (English spelling) aroughcun, from arahkunem “he scratches with his hands”

Word History and Origins

Origin of raccoon¹

C17: from Algonquian ärähkun , from ärähkuněm he scratches with his hands

Example Sentences

It's hard to say the same for the petition to rename raccoons Trash Pandas.

From BBC

I was a culinary raccoon: nosy, impulsive, endlessly compelled to paw at things that might have been better left alone.

From Salon

In one study, raccoons and squirrels would sacrifice food to avoid tick-infested areas, suggesting that they valued the threat of parasites more than the promise of food.

From Salon

Yards were filled with orange, lemon, avocado and persimmon trees — as well as owls, frogs and raccoons.

From Los Angeles Times

Since the beginning of the outbreak, California officials have found the virus in wild birds such as rock pigeons, white-faced ibis, and turkey vultures, as well as wild mammals including mountain lions, raccoons and skunks.

From Los Angeles Times