raccoon

[ ra-koon ]
/ ræˈkun /

noun, plural rac·coons, (especially collectively) rac·coon.

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.
the thick, brownish-gray fur of this animal, with gray, black-tipped guard hairs.
any of various related animals of the genus Procyon, of Central American islands, some now rare.

Origin of raccoon

1600–10, Americanism; < Virginia Algonquian (E spelling) aroughcun

British Dictionary definitions for raccoon

raccoon

racoon

/ (rəˈkuːn) /

noun plural -coons or -coon

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
the fur of the North American raccoon

Word Origin for raccoon

C17: from Algonquian ärähkun, from ärähkuněm he scratches with his hands