Plural of coon, short for raccoon; also a sometimes offensive slur (use with caution).
From Powhatan 'apokoum' meaning 'one who scratches with hands.' The word entered English in the 1600s and evolved into the abbreviated 'coon' by the 1700s.
Raccoons were named by Native Americans based on their distinctive scratching behavior—the word literally described what the animal does! This is one of the few common English animal names with indigenous American roots.
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