raccoon

[ ra-koon ]

/ ræˈkun /

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noun, plural rac·coons, (especially collectively) rac·coon.

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.

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

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

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Also ra·coon .

Origin of raccoon

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

Words nearby raccoon

Rabin, Yitzhak, rabirubia, Raborn, rabot, RAC, raccoon, raccoon dog, Raccoon River, race, raceable, raceabout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use raccoon in a sentence

For instance, between 1990 and 2011, some 67,058 raccoons were found with the raccoon variant.
Explainer: Virus variants and strains|Janet Raloff|August 25, 2021|Science News For Students
Crossovers to other species by the raccoon variant “was unexpectedly high,” they reported.
Explainer: Virus variants and strains|Janet Raloff|August 25, 2021|Science News For Students
Predators like foxes, raccoons, skunks, feral cats, hawks, and owls all feed on them.
How Non-Native Pheasants Protect American Biodiversity|Wes Siler|April 1, 2021|Outside Online
As an apex predator — one at the top of the “food chain” — it feeds on deer, raccoons, rabbits and rodents.
Wild red wolves hanging on but more cooperation needed to save the species|Ann Cameron Siegal|January 26, 2021|Washington Post

Scientists have successfully used baited vaccines to manage rabies in foxes in Western Europe and raccoons in the United States.
Can Vaccines for Wildlife Prevent Human Pandemics?|Rodrigo Pérez Ortega|August 24, 2020|Quanta Magazine

British Dictionary definitions for raccoon

raccoon

racoon

/ (rəˈkuːn) /

noun plural -coons or -coon

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

the fur of the North American raccoon

Word Origin for raccoon

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012