Advertisement

Advertisement

raccoon

[ ra-koon ]

noun

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


Discover More

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”
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of raccoon1

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

Compare Meanings

How does raccoon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

For instance, between 1990 and 2011, some 67,058 raccoons were found with the raccoon variant.

Crossovers to other species by the raccoon variant “was unexpectedly high,” they reported.

Predators like foxes, raccoons, skunks, feral cats, hawks, and owls all feed on them.

As an apex predator — one at the top of the “food chain” — it feeds on deer, raccoons, rabbits and rodents.

Scientists have successfully used baited vaccines to manage rabies in foxes in Western Europe and raccoons in the United States.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


RACraccoon dog