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coon

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coon

  [koon]
Use coon in a Sentence
–noun
1. raccoon.
2. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a black person.
3. a rustic or undignified person.
Origin:
1735–45, Americanism; aph. form
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To coon
coon   (kōōn)   
n.  

  1. Informal A raccoon.

  2. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a Black person.


[Short for raccoon.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

coon 
short for raccoon, 1742, Amer.Eng. It was the nickname of Whig Party members in U.S. c.1848-60, as the raccoon was the party's symbol. The insulting meaning "black person" (1837) is said to be from Port. barracoos "building constructed to hold slaves for sale." Coon's age is 1843, Amer.Eng., probably an alteration of British a crow's age.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
coon
raccoon
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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