: 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 WebAccording to the new research, cats and a raccoon acquired the virus and died, likely after drinking raw milk.—Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 July 2024 Move the pot to a different location for a few days to deter the raccoon.—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2024 The animals most likely to spread the disease in the U.S. are bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 June 2024 The same goes for crocodiles, caimans, any wild cat species like bobcats and lynxes, any wolves or wolf/dog hybrids, or native wild animals like raccoons, skunks and foxes.—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for raccoon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raccoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
: 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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