Meaning & use
coati
Last updated
UK/kəʊˈɑː.ti/
US/koʊˈɑː.ti/
Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A slim, long-nosed mammal from the Americas with a ringed tail that is related to raccoons and often searches for food on the ground in groups.
Grammar: Countable: a coati, two coatis.
Patterns
- a coati in the forest
A coati sniffed along the trail with its tail held high.
Troops of coatis wander through the rainforest looking for fruit and insects.
The zoo keeper fed the coati a mix of fruit and eggs.
Word forms
| plural | coatis |
|---|
Common combinations
- ring-tailed coati
- The ring-tailed coati climbed down the tree head first.
- troop of coatis
- A troop of coatis crossed the road.
- coati snout
- The coati snout is long and flexible.
- white-nosed coati
- A white-nosed coati visited our campsite.
Synonyms and how they differ
- coatimundi
- Coatimundi is another name for the same animal, and it can sound slightly more technical.
- raccoon
- The raccoon is a close relative, but it has a shorter snout and a mask-like face.
Word family
- coatis noun
- the plural
- coatimundi noun
- alternative name
Commonly confused: coati or coyote?
coati vs coyote
A coyote is a wild dog, while a coati is a raccoon relative with a ringed tail.
Practice
A coati is most closely related to which animal?
Choose one answer.
Coatis belong to the raccoon family. Wolves, rabbits and squirrels are different groups.
Make it your own
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