raccoon

American  

[ra-koon] / ræˈkun /

racoon

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.

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raccoon British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of raccoon

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

Compare meaning

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

• raccoon dog vs. raccoon

Example Sentences

The last 12 months have delivered a huge number of viral moments - Taylor Swift getting engaged, a raccoon getting drunk, and the 6-7 trend driving teachers everywhere to early retirement.

From BBC

“Meanwhile, the MAC is out here playing real football in front of 14 people and a raccoon on a Tuesday night during a blizzard.”

From The Wall Street Journal

If he’s serving up the trash, then call me a raccoon, because I’m ready to dive in.

From Los Angeles Times

She later added that there is a chance the earlier break-ins could have been perpetrated by a different raccoon - but officials have identified him as their prime suspect.

From BBC

The guest bit benefited from a nice use of cuts to black and white to show Sherman as a raccoon caught on a Ring camera.

From Los Angeles Times