raccoon
Americannoun
plural
raccoons,plural
raccoon-
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.
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the thick, brownish-gray fur of this animal, with gray, black-tipped guard hairs.
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any of various related animals of the genus Procyon, of Central American islands, some now rare.
noun
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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
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the fur of the North American raccoon
Etymology
Origin of raccoon
An Americanism dating back to 1600–10; from Virginia Algonquian (English spelling) aroughcun, from arahkunem “he scratches with his hands”
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 • Dec. 26, 2025
“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 • Dec. 24, 2025
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 • Dec. 7, 2025
Just a week earlier, customs officials said they had arrested another smuggler carrying snakes, tortoises and a raccoon.
From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025
The raccoon was in the kitchen, examining a piece of Aretha’s dog chow.
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
