: 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 WebThe blocks are teeming with rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, pigs, ponies, raccoons, and sundry other critters.—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2024 San Francisco pup's life saved by first responders after falling off cliff
Cushy-Pup, a dog that was chased by raccoons off a cliff in San Francisco, was rescued by first responders on Sunday night.—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 28 May 2024 Tiara-sporting raccoon gripping a crucifix of bones?—Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 23 May 2024 Yes, the raccoon was far from the first apparently sports-loving animal to turn up uninvited on the world’s fields of play.—Victor Mather, New York Times, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for raccoon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raccoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
: 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"
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