Illustration of raccoon
- raccoon 1a
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
Examples of raccoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like a faulty fire hydrant, or a vacuum cleaner whizzing up and down with the uncontrollable hysteria of a feral raccoon, our directive was to suck up as many clicks as possible through every angle imaginable.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raccoons can carry rabies and roundworm, both of which can be harmful to people.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Both opossums and raccoons leave prints that look like those of a tiny human, but the opossum thumb is held at nearly right angles to the rest of the fingers.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Some of the terrain includes a waterfall, California live oak trees, sycamore trees, volcanic rocks, a freshwater marsh and locals such as Pacific tree frogs, mallard ducks, raccoons and coyotes.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for raccoon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raccoons can carry rabies and roundworm, both of which can be harmful to people.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Both opossums and raccoons leave prints that look like those of a tiny human, but the opossum thumb is held at nearly right angles to the rest of the fingers.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Some of the terrain includes a waterfall, California live oak trees, sycamore trees, volcanic rocks, a freshwater marsh and locals such as Pacific tree frogs, mallard ducks, raccoons and coyotes.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for raccoon
Cite this Entry
“Raccoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raccoon. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share