Raccoon
/rəˈkuːn/noun
A North American nocturnal mammal known for its masked face, ringed tail, and dexterous front paws.
Did you know?The English word was adopted from a Powhatan-language term recorded by English colonists in Virginia, making it one of many everyday English words inherited from Indigenous American languages.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1600
Powhatan
aroughcun
“A raccoon; traditionally interpreted as “one who scratches with the hands.””
Early 17th Century
Virginia English
arathkone
“An English colonial rendering of the Indigenous animal name.”
17th Century
English
racoon
“The North American masked mammal.”
18th Century
English
raccoon
“The spelling becomes increasingly standardized with double c.”
Modern English
English
raccoon
“A nocturnal, omnivorous mammal of the genus Procyon.”