tanuki

noun

ta·​nu·​ki tä-ˈnü-kē How to pronounce tanuki (audio)
: the fur of a raccoon dog
also : raccoon dog

Examples of tanuki in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many porches displayed tanuki statues, hoping the jolly sake-clutching raccoon dogs brought prosperity. Norma Meyer, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024 Also try: Takahashi (10324 S.E. Holgate Blvd.), chef Seiji Takahashi (of Sushi Takahashi 1 and 2 fame)’s original restaurant, is under new ownership, but the room remains charmingly cluttered with lanterns, tanuki statues and origami cranes. oregonlive, 17 Feb. 2023 And in grand homes and fancy offices, a more easily read calligraphic work may be displayed as a conversation starter — its short, clear lines executed with a firm, resilient tanuki or horsehair brush. New York Times, 3 June 2021 Many Japanese woodblock prints depict a tanuki kneading its testes into the shape of various objects, such as raincoats or fishing nets. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2020 In 2016, British outlets ran a story about a man in Blackpool who was concerned people would mistake his tanuki for a feral raccoon. Elaina Zachos, National Geographic, 16 May 2018 The miniature houses with front stoops guarded by potted plants and tanuki (raccoon dog) figurines had a stillness about them. Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2017 Raccoon Dog A raccoon dog, or tanuki, named Tanu burst to fame on the Internet after his owner tweeted photos of his pet. National Geographic, 22 Feb. 2016 Many different animals can be raised in captivity for the fur trade: minks, foxes, chinchillas, and raccoon dogs (also known as tanuki or Asiatic raccoons). National Geographic, 17 Aug. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, raccoon dog

First Known Use

circa 1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tanuki was circa 1929

Dictionary Entries Near tanuki

Cite this Entry

“Tanuki.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tanuki. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tanuki

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!