means A medium-sized North American mammal known for its black facial mask, ringed tail, and remarkably dexterous front paws used for foraging.

from From the Powhatan (Algonquian) word 'aroughcun' or 'arahkun,' roughly meaning 'one who scratches with the hands' — a nod to those nimble, grasping paws. English settlers heard it and mangled it into a string of spellings ('raugroughcum,' 'rarowcun,' 'rackoon') before it finally settled into 'raccoon.' The name traveled into other languages too: German 'Waschbär' ('wash-bear') and French 'raton laveur' ('little washing rat') both fixate on the animal's habit of dousing its food in water.