raccoon
Syllabification: (rac·coon)
Pronunciation: /raˈko͞on, rə-/
(also racoon)
Translate raccoon | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of raccoon
noun
- a grayish-brown American mammal that has a foxlike face with a black mask and a ringed tail.
- Genus Procyon, family Procyonidae (the raccoon family): two species, in particular the common raccoon (P. lotor), which often occurs in urban areas in North America. The raccoon family also includes the coati, kinkajou, cacomistle, and olingo
Origin:
early 17th century: from Virginia Algonquian aroughcun. The common raccoon's scientific name lotor is Latin for 'one who washes', a name descriptive of the raccoon's habit of using its front feet to forage for food in water