procione
/proˈt͡ʃo.ne/masculine
The English word raccoon is procione in Italian. Wiktionary also lists orsetto lavatore.
Meaning: nocturnal omnivore living in North America, Procyon lotor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| procione | /proˈt͡ʃo.ne/ | masculine |
| orsetto lavatore | masculine |
Both provided terms refer to the nocturnal North American omnivore, Procyon lotor.
What does it mean word for word?
The colloquial term orsetto lavatore is a literal description of the animal, combining orsetto (little bear) and lavatore (washer).
Which one should you use?
orsetto lavatore is a colloquial way to refer to the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of procione is procioni.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of procione is /proˈtʃo.ne/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The term orsetto lavatore reflects a common European myth that raccoons wash their food for hygiene, though they actually do it to increase tactile sensitivity.
- The word procione reveals a strange ancient connection to dogs, as it literally stems from Greek roots meaning 'in place of a dog'.
- Unlike the English word 'raccoon', which is an indigenous American loanword, procione is a scientific New Latin construction.
Examples in context
- Sami vide un procione.Sami saw a raccoon.This sentence shows how to use the word procione in a simple observation.Tatoeba #13629233 by Guybrush88, translation #7146349 by OsoHombre
- Il procione beve dell'acqua.The raccoon drinks water.This sentence demonstrates the use of procione when describing the animal's actions.Tatoeba #13074103 by Guybrush88, translation #10890891 by rul
- I due cani aggredirono il procione.The two dogs treed the raccoon.This sentence provides an example of procione being the object of an action.Tatoeba #12763624 by Guybrush88, translation #4972897 by Karok
- Ho visto un procione nel parco questa mattina.I saw a raccoon in the park this morning.
- Sono stato sorpreso da un gatto lavatore mentre cercavo di fare una foto al tramonto.I was surprised by a raccoon while trying to take a picture of the sunset.
- I bambini si sono emozionati nel vedere un orsetto lavatore al giardino zoologico.The children got excited when seeing a raccoon at the zoo.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- ChiaraGuarda quel procione, Francesco!Look at that raccoon, Francesco!
- FrancescoÈ davvero strano, è molto agile.It is really strange, it is very agile.
- ChiaraSì, sembra quasi un piccolo ladro.Yes, it almost looks like a little thief.
- FrancescoHai ragione, è molto astuto.You're right, he is very cunning.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raccoon” translations and entries procione, orsetto lavatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lavatore, orsetto, procione, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
