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totem
[ toh-tuhm ]
/ ˈtoʊ təm /
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noun
a natural object or an animate being, as an animal or bird, assumed as the emblem of a clan, family, or group.
an object or natural phenomenon that a family or descendant group considers themselves closely related to.
a representation of a natural object, animate being, etc., that serves as the distinctive mark or emblem of a clan, family, or group.
anything serving as a distinctive, often venerated, emblem or symbol.
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Origin of totem
An Americanism first recorded in 1750–60; from Ojibwe ninto·te·m “my totem,” oto·te·man “his totem” (probably originally “my/his clan-village-mate,” derivative of stem o·te·- “dwell in or as a village”; compare o·te·na “village”)
OTHER WORDS FROM totem
to·tem·ic [toh-tem-ik], /toʊˈtɛm ɪk/, adjectivesub·to·tem, nounWords nearby totem
totara, tote, tote bag, tote board, tote box, totem, totemic, totemism, totemist, totemite, totem pole
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use totem in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for totem
totem
/ (ˈtəʊtəm) /
noun
(in some societies, esp among North American Indians) an object, species of animal or plant, or natural phenomenon symbolizing a clan, family, etc, often having ritual associations
a representation of such an object
Derived forms of totem
totemic (təʊˈtɛmɪk), adjectivetotemically, adverbWord Origin for totem
C18: from Ojibwa nintōtēm mark of my family
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for totem
totem
An animal, plant, or other object in nature that has a special relationship to a person, family, or clan and serves as a sign for that person or group.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with totem
totem
see low man on the totem pole.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.