raton

young rat, kit

noun rah-TOHN Rare

Also means

raccoon (in 'raton laveur')

Usage Note

Raton on its own means a young or small rat, but it is almost always encountered in the compound raton laveur, the French term for raccoon (literally 'washing rat', because raccoons appear to wash their food). The plural is ratons.

Examples

"Le raton laveur fouille dans les poubelles."

Natural Translation

The raccoon rummages through the bins.

Literal Translation

The washing-rat rummages through the bins.

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