raccoon

noun

rac·​coon ra-ˈkün How to pronounce raccoon (audio)
also rə-
variants or less commonly racoon
plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons
Synonyms of raccoonnext
1
a
: 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

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.
On Monday afternoon, bumblebees and butterflies fluttered from flower to flower, while deer and raccoon tracks were printed into the dirt trails, still wet from this weekend’s rain. Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026 Rabies is most common in wild animals including skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes. Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 In areas of Everglades National Park, where the snakes started showing up in the 1980s, sightings of mammals such as marsh rabbits, raccoons, opossums, bobcats and deer have plummeted by 80% to 99%, depending on species. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 As highly-opportunistic omnivores, raccoons hunt insects, aquatic animals, small mammals, and birds. Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for raccoon

Word History

Etymology

Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of raccoon was in 1608

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raccoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raccoon. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

raccoon

noun
rac·​coon
variants also racoon
ra-ˈkün
plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons
: 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on raccoon

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster