raccoon

noun

rac·​coon ra-ˈkün 

 also  rə-

variants or less commonly racoon

plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons

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

• raccoon 1a

Examples of raccoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The raccoon was not injured in the incident, according to police. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025

Unlike some wildlife species, raccoons (Procyon lotor) thrive even in urban areas. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing raccoon

• raccoon dog

Rhymes for raccoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

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"