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totem

Pronunciation: /ˈtəʊtəm/

Translate totem | into French | into Italian
Definition of totem

noun

  • a natural object or animal that is believed by a particular society to have spiritual significance and that is adopted by it as an emblem.

Derivatives

totemic

Pronunciation: /-ˈtɛmɪk/

adjective

totemism

noun

totemist

noun

totemistic

Pronunciation: /-ˈmɪstɪk/

adjective

Origin:

mid 18th century: from Ojibwa nindoodem 'my totem'

totem in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of totem in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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