raccoon
Simple Definition of raccoon
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: a small North American animal with grayish-brown fur that has black fur around its eyes and black rings around its tail
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: the fur of a raccoon
Full Definition of raccoon
pluralraccoon
orraccoons
alsoracoon
orracoons
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
Variants of raccoon
racoon
\ra-ˈkün also rə-\Origin and Etymology of raccoon
Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun
First Known Use: 1608
RACCOON Defined for Kids
raccoon
Definition of raccoon for Students
: a small North American animal that is mostly gray with black around the eyes, has a bushy tail with black rings, is active mostly at night, and eats small animals, fruits, eggs, and insects
History for raccoon
Like hickory, moccasin, and tomahawk, the word raccoon comes from an American Indian language that was spoken around the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. The English colonist John Smith—famous for having his life spared by Pocahontas—first recorded the name for the unfamiliar animal as aroughcun, rarowcun, and raugroughcun.
Learn More about raccoon
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Spanish Central: Translation of raccoon Nglish: Translation of raccoon for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about raccoon
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