raccoon

noun

rac·​coon ra-ˈkün 

also rə-

variants or less commonly racoon

plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons

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

• raccoon 1a

Examples of raccoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It's spread by high-risk animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, coyotes and groundhogs as well as domestic animals like cats, dogs and ferrets. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026

Do deer, raccoons, or even your dog already favor that area, making additional deterrents necessary once the garden is established? —Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026

Although the animals were selected for their complementary qualities in relation to Elordi’s voice, the range of species utilized was broad enough to include everything from raccoons to a rhinoceros. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026

What's more, the European Commission is planning to announce a decision on banning the holding and killing of mink, foxes, raccoon, dogs and chinchilla, and marketing of fur products from those animals, according to its website. —ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing raccoon

• raccoon dog

Rhymes for raccoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

Kids Definition

raccoon

noun

rac·​coon

variants also racoon

ra-ˈkün

plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons

: 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"