noun
coon
koon
noun
1
(informal, especially US) A raccoon.
"A coon had gotten into the trash cans overnight."
2
(slang, offensive) A racial slur for a Black person.
"The word is now recognized as a deeply offensive racial slur and should be avoided entirely."
How to Use Coon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishInformally, a shortening of "raccoon" — but the word also carries a well-known and highly offensive racist meaning, so it needs to be handled with real care.
When to use it
The racial slur sense is extremely offensive and should never be used; even the "raccoon" sense is best avoided in careful writing because of the overlap.
Word Forms
cooned past tense, coons plural, Coons plural, coons singular
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Etymology
A shortened form of raccoon; the racist sense developed later as a derogatory extension.