Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

raccoon

noun rac·coon \ ra-ˈkün also rə- \
variants: or less commonly
|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of raccoon

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

See raccoon defined for English-language learners

See raccoon defined for kids

Recent Examples of raccoon from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'raccoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of raccoon

illustration of raccoon

Origin and Etymology of raccoon

Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun, arocoun

Other Mammals Terms

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

RACCOON Defined for English Language Learners

raccoon

noun

Definition of raccoon for English Language Learners

  • : a small North American animal with grayish-brown fur that has black fur around its eyes and black rings around its tail

  • : the fur of a raccoon

RACCOON Defined for Kids

raccoon

noun rac·coon \ ra-ˈkün \

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

  1. See words that rhyme with raccoon Spanish Central: Translation of raccoon Nglish: Translation of raccoon for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about raccoon

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up raccoon? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

imperturbable

play

very hard to disturb or upset

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. hogwash 'nonsense, balderdash'

  2. probity 'adherence to the highest principles and ideals'

  3. sequacious 'intellectually servile'

  4. inadmissible 'not capable of being allowed'

  5. oligarch, pejorative 'a member a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

raccoon

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

  • alphabet-pasta-spelling-help
  • Which is the correct spelling?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games