taboo
adjective
proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable.
tabu
-
a variation of
taboo.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
George notes that our word “taboo” is believed to derive from one of two Polynesian words: tapua, which means “menstruation,” or tabu, which means “apart.”
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 7, 2019
The tabu on horses and dogs thus renders unthinkable the consumption of a set of animals whose production is practically feasible and which are nutritionally not to be despised.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 6, 2013
Pastor Salau demonstrated with the Lord's Prayer: Papa belong me fella, stop on top; name belong You he tabu; Pidgin belong you he come down along ground all same on top.
From Time Magazine Archive
And daytime's You Are the Jury is an unrehearsed courtroom drama exploring areas often considered tabu on TV.
From Time Magazine Archive
His descendant, the tribal chief, is set within the pale of the tabu: his will may not be disobeyed, nor his body touched without incurring the wrath of the Unseen.
From The Fijians A Study of the Decay of Custom by Basil Thomson
