coon

American  

[koon] / kun /

noun

1. Informal. raccoon.

2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.

3. Informal. a fellow, especially a rustic or undignified person.

   Go home, you old coon!

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coon British  

/ kuːn /

noun

1. informal short for raccoon

2. offensive a Black person or a native Australian

3. offensive a person of mixed race

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Sensitive Note

See coon's age.

Usage

What does coon mean? Content warning: this article includes content dealing with racism. Coon is an extremely offensive slur for a Black person. It’s rooted in the racist history of Blackface and comes from a shortening of raccoon.

Etymology

Origin of coon

An Americanism dating back to 1735–45; shortening of raccoon ( def. )

Example Sentences

Party A and Party B agree to share physical custody and pet costs, including veterinary, medicine, and pet-food costs associated with Beatrice, a Maine coon cat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

“Beneath thick stands of Carolina pine, past the sheds where the coon dogs howl, a brook tumbles out of the Brushy Mountains bringing a refreshing coolness to the meadows of Ingle Hollow,” Glick wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2023

Whether your housemate is a Great Dane or a Maine coon cat, when it comes to design, Pelletier notes, “The only limit is your imagination.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023

Famed Twitter Maine coon Lorenzo the Cat shared the story of Aleksandra Polischuk, a breeder of sphinx cats who was killed when her home was destroyed.

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2022

He was trying to climb up on the log and get to the coon.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls