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

One child had gone to the beach, and the other child had been exposed to a raccoon latrine, which is an area where a raccoon routinely expels its waste. —Amy Corral, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

Some mammal species are highly susceptible to HPAI, including domestic cats, skunks, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, mountain lions and black bears. —Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 27 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

As of Tuesday evening, the raccoon hadn't been removed. —Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 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"