raccoon English · revision 1648

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɹəˈkuːn/ ''(UK)''; /ɹæˈkun/, /ɹəˈkun/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is borrowed from Virginia Algonquian (Powhatan),^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) in which it was recorded in forms such as ''arocoun'' and ''raugroughcun'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) said to be from a word meaning “he scratches with the hands”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The North American animal (1608, as ''arocoun'', or c. 1600 in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Barnhart suggests the name refers to the long scratches the animal leaves on trees, or to its use of its paws when hunting for food.^(Barnhart 1995) Etymonline compares French ''raton laveur'', “washer rat”, from its habit of dipping food in water.^(Etymonline) The word was later used for the animal's fur^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and for related animals.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The shortened form [[coon]] is colloquial.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1600 – Etymonline's date.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1608 – ''arocoun''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A North American [[nocturnal]] mammal with greyish-brown fur, a black mask-like marking across the eyes and a bushy, black-ringed tail.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The fur of this animal.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # Any of various related or similar animals.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[coon]]

+ * [[coonhound]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[opossum]]

+ * [[skunk]]

+ * [[moose]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}