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raccoon

 [ra-koon]   Example Sentences Origin

rac·coon

   [ra-koon]
noun, plural -coons, (especially collectively) -coon.
1.
a nocturnal carnivore, Procyon lotor, having a masklike black stripe across the eyes, a sharp snout, and a bushy, ringed tail, native to North and Central America and introduced elsewhere for its valuable fur.
2.
the thick, brownish-gray fur of this animal, with gray, black-tipped guard hairs.
3.
any of various related animals of the genus Procyon, of Central American islands, some now rare.
Origin:
1600–10, Americanism; < Virginia Algonquian (E spelling) aroughcun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Raccoon is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Another person inadvisedly trying to nurse a rabid raccoon back to health was exposed to the animal's saliva.
  • As far as the raccoon with the big nuts, your guess is as good as mine.
  • The sensitive hands of the raccoon help it see what it touches.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
raccoon or racoon (rəˈkuːn)
 
—n , pl -coons, -coon
1.  any omnivorous mammal of the genus Procyon, esp P. lotor (North American raccoon), inhabiting forests of North and Central America and the Caribbean: family Procyonidae, order Carnivora (carnivores). Raccoons have a pointed muzzle, long tail, and greyish-black fur with black bands around the tail and across the face
2.  the fur of the North American raccoon
 
[C17: from Algonquian ärähkun, from ärähkuněm he scratches with his hands]
 
racoon or racoon
 
—n
 
[C17: from Algonquian ärähkun, from ärähkuněm he scratches with his hands]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

raccoon
1608, arocoun, from Algonquian (Powhatan) arahkun, from arahkunem "he scratches with the hands." Early forms included Capt. John Smith's raugroughcum. In Norw., vaskebjørn, lit. "wash-bear."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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