raccoon

rac·coon

noun \ra-ˈkün also rə-\

plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons

Definition of RACCOON

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

Variants of RACCOON

rac·coon also ra·coon \ra-ˈkün also rə-\

Illustration of RACCOON

Origin of RACCOON

Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun

First Known Use: 1608

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

Rhymes with RACCOON

aswoon, attune, baboon, balloon, bassoon, blue moon, buffoon, Calhoun, Cancún, cardoon, cartoon, cocoon, commune, doubloon, dragoon, festoon, fine-tune, forenoon, full moon, gaboon, gadroon, galloon, Gudrun, half-moon, harpoon, high noon, immune, impugn, jargoon, jejune, Kowloon, Kunlun, lagoon, lampoon, lardoon, Maine coon, maroon, monsoon, Neptune, new moon, oppugn, Pashtun, patroon, platoon, poltroon, pontoon, premune, puccoon, quadroon, ratoon, repugn, rough-hewn, saloon, Sassoon, shalloon, soupspoon, spittoon, spontoon, teaspoon, tribune, triune, tuchun, tycoon, typhoon, untune, Walloon

raccoon

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

North American raccoon (Procyon lotor).—Leonard Lee Rue III

Any of seven species of omnivorous, nocturnal carnivores (genus Procyon, family Procyonidae) characterized by a bushy, ringed tail and a black mask on the face. The North American raccoon (P. lotor) has a stout body, short legs, pointed muzzle, and small erect ears. It is 30–36 in. (75–90 cm) long, including the 10-in. (25-cm) tail, and weighs over 22 lb (10 kg). The shaggy, coarse fur is iron-gray to blackish. The feet resemble slender human hands. Raccoons eat arthropods, rodents, frogs, berries, fruit, and plants; in towns and cities they thrive on garbage. They prefer woods near water and usually live in hollow trees. The crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) of South America is similar but has coarser fur.

Variants of RACCOON

raccoon or ringtail