Dictionary.com

totem

[ toh-tuhm ]
/ ˈtoʊ təm /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: totem / totems / totemic on Thesaurus.com

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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

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, noun
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, adverb

Word 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.
FEEDBACK