coati

[ koh-ah-tee ]

noun

, plural co·a·tis.

1. a diurnal omnivore related to the raccoon, having an elongated body, a long, ringed, nonprehensile tail, and a slender, flexible snout: the two genera are Nasua, found in the southwestern U.S. and southward to Uruguay, and Nasuella, the mountain coatis of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.

coati

/ kəʊˈɑːtɪ; kəʊˌɑːtɪˈmʌndɪ /

noun

1. any omnivorous mammal of the genera Nasua and Nasuella, of Central and South America: family Procyonidae, order Carnivora (carnivores). They are related to but larger than the raccoons, having a long flexible snout and a brindled coat

Word History and Origins

Origin of coati¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Portuguese, from Tupi, equivalent to cua “belt” + ti, tim “nose”

Word History and Origins

Origin of coati¹

C17: from Portuguese coatì, from Tupi, literally: belt-nosed, from cua belt + tim nose

Example Sentences

“These are coatis,” Mrs. Brisbane said, reading from the letter.

From Literature

The state estimates property damage from such wrecks at nearly $20 million annually, while unbroken roads also fracture habitats for monitored species of concern including the ornate box turtle, white-nosed coati and gila monster.

From Seattle Times

“We’ve seen a lot of dead deer, dead tapirs, dead monkeys, dead coati,” a cousin of North American raccoons.

From Reuters

Authorities say the woman’s husband shot and killed the coati.

From Washington Times

The annual weigh-in of animals, also including Asiatic lions, South African porcupines and South American coatis, will take a week to complete.

From Reuters