raccoon

noun

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rac·coon | \ ra-ˈkün

also rə- \

variants: or less commonly racoon

plural raccoon or raccoons also racoon or racoons

Definition of raccoon

1a : 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 In November 1926, Coolidge pardoned the raccoon and adopted it. — Christina Morales New York Times, Star Tribune, "Presidential pooches back in style," 11 Dec. 2020 On the wilder side, a raccoon dubbed Burnie was rescued from the Blue Ridge fire near Anaheim. — Faith E. Pinho, chicagotribune.com, "Cougar cubs, raccoons, cats hurt by fires find new homes," 4 Dec. 2020 On the wilder side, a raccoon dubbed Burnie was rescued from the Blue Ridge fire near Anaheim. — Faith E. Pinho, chicagotribune.com, "Cougar cubs, raccoons, cats hurt by fires find new homes," 4 Dec. 2020 On the wilder side, a raccoon dubbed Burnie was rescued from the Blue Ridge fire near Anaheim. — Los Angeles Times, "Cougar cubs, raccoons, kitty cats. After rehab, animals hurt by fires find new homes," 21 Nov. 2020 One of the oddest White House pets was a raccoon later named Rebecca that was sent to President Calvin Coolidge to be served at Thanksgiving dinner. — Christina Morales New York Times, Star Tribune, "Presidential pooches back in style," 11 Dec. 2020 Spreading from animal to animal when the stocky, raccoon-size marsupials bite each other, the transmissible cancer has killed up to 80% of the devils in Tasmania, their only home for millennia. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Tasmanian devils claw their way back from extinction," 10 Dec. 2020 The raccoon got into a scuffle with a dog and climbed up into a chandelier before finally exiting the house. — Alex Chaet, CNN, "Must-watch videos of the week," 25 Dec. 2020 The raccoon, estimated to be between 2 and 3 years old, arrived at the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach on Nov. 2 covered in smoke and soot, said executive director Debbie McGuire. — Faith E. Pinho, chicagotribune.com, "Cougar cubs, raccoons, cats hurt by fires find new homes," 4 Dec. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

1 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Raccoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raccoon. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for raccoon

raccoon

noun

English Language Learners Definition of raccoon

: 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

See the full definition for raccoon in the English Language Learners Dictionary

raccoon

noun

rac·coon | \ ra-ˈkün \

Kids Definition of raccoon

: 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

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