I am looking for a word like lupine only for raccoons. Is there a word that means “raccoon-like” or “raccoon-esque”?
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2You could coin 'procyonic' if you thought you might be understood...– JAMDec 11, 2012 at 16:56
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2@jam I presume you're getting that from the linnaen name term for racoon. But I understand that "procyon" is actually Greek for "before the dog", so I'm not sure if that would be appropriate. In any case, it makes me think of the star, not an animal.– JayDec 11, 2012 at 17:14
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1racooniform, unless you don't want a joke, and of course racuneiform if you want the less jocular form with inexplicable spelling.– user32111Dec 12, 2012 at 3:25
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Raccoony - sounds to good to keep quiet about.– LucasDec 12, 2012 at 7:41
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I would say that someone who is "raccoon-like" is a raccoonteur.– Hot LicksOct 8, 2020 at 18:35
4 Answers
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
Procyonide, procyonic, procyonine perhaps. There must be a rule for forming an adjective from a Greek noun ending -ον.
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I vote for procyonic, since it's the one I came up with on my own before the search lead me here.– user134507Aug 19, 2015 at 7:25
By analogy to wolves(species), the word would be lotorine. However, that term does not occur on the web; although there is a pun about a coon being arrested for 'lotoring'.
Are you looking for a technical term or something that would be understood in normal conversation? If the former ... I don't know of any, and couldn't find one with an (admittedly brief) search. If the latter, you can find the word "racoonish" used frequently.
Though your request was for a word, since there does not seem to be one that is readily understood, how about one of these phrase-structures "...of a raccoon" or "racoon-like..." instead?
Examples:
It had the nimble dexterity of a racoon
It lumbered by with a distinct racoon-like gait
- The bandit's mask gave him a comical racoon-like appearance