: a small nocturnal carnivore (Procyon lotor) of North America that is chiefly gray, has a black mask and bushy ringed tail, lives chiefly in trees, and has a varied diet including small animals, fruits, and nuts
b
: the pelt of this animal
2
: any of several animals resembling or related to the raccoon
Illustration of raccoon
raccoon 1a
Examples of raccoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Young gators can become the prey of otters, fish, raccoons, wading birds and even larger alligators.—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 The raccoon was discovered near the 2200 block of Melrose Lane, raising concerns about potential exposure to other people and pets in the area.—Alexa Dikos, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025 The couple had a flock of the birds, named Marilyn, Rita, Eartha, Foghorn Leghorn and the Fabulous Miller Sisters, until all but three were killed by raccoons.—Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 27 May 2025 The discovery of the raccoon led to Vidal receiving multiple charges, including third-degree felony possession of drugs and three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police.—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for raccoon
: a small North American mammal that is mostly gray with a black mask, has a bushy ringed tail, lives chiefly in trees and is active at night, and eats a varied diet including small animals, fruits, eggs, and insects
also: the pelt of a raccoon
Etymology
Virginia Algonquian raugroughcoon, arocoun "racoon"
Share