Illustration of coati
1
: any of several tropical American mammals (genera Nasua and Nasuella) related to the raccoon but with a longer body and tail and a long flexible snout
2
Examples of coati in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The video shows tiny coati along with larger ones running from one side of the road to the other, showing off their long tails and agile strides, rangers said.
—
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Susan Perry, an anthropologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, described witnessing the animals torturing coati pups before eating them alive in Costa Rica.
—Elizabeth Landau, New York Times, 19 May 2025
While visitors to Reserva Conchal can spot iconic Costa Rican animals like the mantled howler monkey, white-nosed coati and elegant trogon during a visit, the property has also mastered the art of hospitality, with two prestigious hotels located within its boundaries.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The coati is a civet-like animal native to Central and South America and is related to the Asian civet.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Sometimes a coati, a javelina or a roadrunner shows up in the parking lot.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
And for Johnny the coati, a distant relative of the racoon, that means enticing him with a spoonful of honey inside of a plastic container, prompting him to stick his head inside while a vet administers the vaccine.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2021
And here was the print of a coati.
—Guest, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2015
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.
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Susan Perry, an anthropologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, described witnessing the animals torturing coati pups before eating them alive in Costa Rica.
—Elizabeth Landau, New York Times, 19 May 2025
While visitors to Reserva Conchal can spot iconic Costa Rican animals like the mantled howler monkey, white-nosed coati and elegant trogon during a visit, the property has also mastered the art of hospitality, with two prestigious hotels located within its boundaries.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The coati is a civet-like animal native to Central and South America and is related to the Asian civet.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Sometimes a coati, a javelina or a roadrunner shows up in the parking lot.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
And for Johnny the coati, a distant relative of the racoon, that means enticing him with a spoonful of honey inside of a plastic container, prompting him to stick his head inside while a vet administers the vaccine.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2021
And here was the print of a coati.
—Guest, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2015
Cite this Entry
“Coati.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coati. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share