: 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
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This encourages chipmunks, as well as other wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks to visit, says Owen.—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025 Wildlife in his yard: baby raccoons, owl, deer Ewart lives off Park Road in south Charlotte, bordering Little Sugar Creek Greenway.—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 2 Aug. 2025 Homeowners who enjoy attracting animals to their property are aware of the value of providing ground level water sources that are popular during the day with birds and bring in night visitors like raccoons, opossums, coyotes and bobcats.—Ernie Cowan, Mercury News, 17 July 2025 In the days leading up to the seizure on Oct. 30, however, complaints came in to the department that a raccoon was now being kept and expressed concern about its living conditions.—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for raccoon
: 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"
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