noun
tanuki
tuh-NUU-kih
noun
1
A Japanese raccoon dog, a wild canine species native to East Asia.
"A tanuki darted across the forest path at dusk."
2
A shapeshifting creature from Japanese folklore, usually depicted as mischievous and jovial.
"The old folktale featured a tanuki who tricked travellers by transforming into everyday objects."
How to Use Tanuki
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the real raccoon dog animal, or the trickster spirit from Japanese folklore based on it.
Word Forms
tanuki plural, tanukis plural
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A _____ darted across the forest path at dusk.
Etymology
From Japanese tanuki, meaning "raccoon dog".