procyonid

1 9.9

An animal like a raccoon that has flat feet and eats plants and meat

noun
/ˈproʊsiənɪd/

Specialized

: procionido

In some regions, procyonids are recognized for their playful behavior and intelligence.

Examples

Many procyonids, such as the ringtail, are adept climbers and can often be seen in trees.
By the time he finally removed the stubborn procyonid, Elmo had swallowed his antibiotic, stood up, and was rubbing his back against the corner of the wall, eyes half closed in ecstasy.

Fiction book (2001)
The raccoon is a well-known procyonid that is often found rummaging through trash cans in urban areas.

Surface Forms

procyonid singular

procyonids plural

Morphology

procyonid = Procyon (opaque) = procyon + id

Although formed from the genus name plus the zoological suffix '-id', this is a specialized taxonomic term that an average B1 learner cannot derive from its parts.

Etymology

Procyonid comes from the Greek name Procyon, made of pro- ('before') and cyon ('dog'). That's why procyonid is the name for the raccoon family — animals like raccoons and their relatives that are not dogs but carry a name meaning 'before a dog', a simple memory link to the family name.