taboo1 adjectivetaboo2 noun
taboota‧boo1 /təˈbuː, tæ-/ adjective 
WORD ORIGINtaboo1
Origin:
1700-1800 Tongan tabuEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Death is still a taboo subject for many people.
- In the '50s it was taboo for co-workers to date each other.
- Sex before marriage is no longer taboo in western countries.
- A still photographer and a video cameraman followed him in there, which is taboo and off-limits and strictly verboten.
- But confusion and anger and fear are taboo.
- It is a taboo subject, and the marriage ceremonies are performed in secret.
- Like Stanley Feingold before him, he had violated the taboo against discussing the limits of the remedial process.
- On all counts - a taboo subject.
- Rape is an equally taboo subject.
- Society leads you to believe that certain things are taboo.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you are not allowed to do something
when a person or a rule says that you must not do something: · We're not allowed to wear jewellery at school.· My mom wasn't allowed to wear makeup until she was 16.something is not allowed: · Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the building.
if something is forbidden , you are not allowed to do it. If someone is forbidden to do something, they are not allowed to do it. Be forbidden is more formal than not allowed: · In Saudi Arabia, alcohol and drug use are forbidden.be forbidden to do something: · Prisoners were forbidden to speak to each other while they were working.be strictly forbidden: · The use of mobile phones is strictly forbidden during take-off and landing.forbidden by law: · Teachers were forbidden by law to teach Darwin's theory of evolution.
spoken if you can't do something, you are not allowed to do it: · You can't park here.· Dad says I can't go out tonight.
used on signs and notices to say that you are not allowed to smoke, park your car etc: · There were 'no smoking' signs in every room.· The gate was locked and the sign said 'No Trespassing'.
formal to be forbidden by a law or rule - used especially on official notices and warnings: · Cars are prohibited in the city centre.· Talking is not permitted in class.· Cameras are prohibited inside the cathedral.· The use of calculators in the test is not permitted.strictly prohibited: · Smoking in the cinema is strictly prohibited.
use this to tell someone that they are not allowed to do something: · You're not to tell anybody about this!· Employees are not to leave their cars in the company parking lot overnight.
a subject, word, or activity that is taboo is not normally talked about or done because it is considered embarrassing or offensive according to social custom or accepted moral standards: · Sex before marriage is no longer taboo in western countries.taboo subject: · Death is still a taboo subject for many people.
WORD SETSclansman, nounclanswoman, nounculturally, adverbculture, noundemography, noun-ese, suffixethnic, adjectiveethnography, nounethnology, nounfirst generation, nounintermarry, verbinterracial, adjectivekinship, nounmegalith, nounnative, adjectiveneanderthal, nounNeanderthal man, nounNeolithic, adjectivenomad, nounorientalist, nounpeace pipe, nounprimitive, adjectiveprimordial, adjectivepygmy, nounracial, adjectivesavage, adjectivesavage, nounsettlement, nounsettler, nountaboo, adjectivetotem, nountotem pole, nountribal, adjectivetribalism, nountribe, nountribesman, nountribeswoman, nountroglodyte, nounwampum, nounwar dance, nounwar paint, nounwhite, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Rape is a taboo subject.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a taboo subject, word, activity etc is one that people avoid because it is extremely offensive or embarrassing: Rape is a taboo subject. (=one that it is not acceptable to mention)· For them, death was not a taboo subject.
(=one that people are not allowed to use)· This has now become a taboo word.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· However, almost nothing else was considered a taboo subject.· By talking about this taboo subject in prayers, sermons and Sunday-school lessons.· It is a taboo subject, and the marriage ceremonies are performed in secret.· Rape is an equally taboo subject.· By this time - the early seventies - homosexuality was no longer a taboo subject.· On all counts - a taboo subject.· This should certainly not be a taboo subject, but nor should it be used to flagellate the mass of teachers.· As unemployment rose in 1992, redundancy ceased to be a taboo subject.
Rape is a taboo subject.2not accepted as socially correct: It’s taboo to date a man a lot younger than you.3too holy or evil to be touched or usedtaboo1 adjectivetaboo2 noun
tabootaboo2 noun (plural taboos) [countable] a custom that says you must avoid a particular activity or subject, either because it is considered offensive or because your religion does not allow ittaboo about/on/against There are taboos against appearing naked in public places.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa social taboo· There is a social taboo against expressing negative views of other races.a sexual taboo· The old sexual taboos had disappeared.verbsbreak/violate a taboo· He is willing to break the taboo about discussing the effects of large-scale immigration.observe a taboo (=not do something that is considered offensive or unacceptable)· The Kalenjin people of Kenya still observe a taboo against eating fish.phrasesthe taboo surrounding something (=relating to something)· John's work did much to remove the taboo surrounding the disease.