English▸ noun a greyish-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.
▪ [mass noun] the fur of the raccoon.
– ORIGIN early 17th century: from Virginia Algonquian aroughcun.