totem

[ toh-tuhm ]

/ ˈtoʊ təm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR totem 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 with which a family or sib considers itself closely related.

a representation of such an object serving as the distinctive mark of the clan or group.

anything serving as a distinctive, often venerated, emblem or symbol.

Origin of totem

1750–60, Americanism;<Ojibwa ninto·te·m my totem, oto·te·man his totem (probably originally my 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/, adjectiveto·tem·i·cal·ly, adverbsub·to·tem, nounsub·to·tem·ic, adjective

Words nearby totem

totara, tote, tote bag, tote board, tote box, totem, totemism, totemist, totemite, totem pole, tote road

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for totem

He would never deign me with any sort of acknowledgment, because I was too low on the totem pole.
Chloe Sevigny on ‘The Cosmopolitans,’ New York’s Frat Boy Takeover, and ‘Asshole’ Michael Alig|Marlow Stern|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is something I look at as a totem of what movies used to be.
The Director Isn’t Done Yet: An Interview With Steven Soderbergh|Andrew Romano|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But as the U.S. killed all those leaders, the strikes continued and began working their way down the totem pole.
Everything You Need to Know About Drones|Josh Dzieza|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“Totem” is by a very young Singaporean artist named Chun Kai Feng, now having his first solo show at Fost Gallery in Singapore.
A Totem to Public Housing|Blake Gopnik|January 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

She was willing to talk to the most senior people or the lowest person on the totem pole.
Susan Rice’s Personality 'Disorder'|Lloyd Grove|December 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I withdrew the—a—contents—and substituted for them my totem.
Fernley House|Laura E. Richards
Examples of the totem in myth are, as has been said, frequent.
An Introduction to Mythology|Lewis Spence
Binger states that the manati was the totem of the Mande group, to which perhaps belonged originally the Susu and the Dyula.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 5|Various
The lizard is a totem, a worshipful animal in New Caledonia.
Custom and Myth|Andrew Lang
The nephew asserts that he paid $2060 for the carving and making of the totem.
Alaska|Ella Higginson

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

Idioms and Phrases with totem

totem

see low man on the totem pole.

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.

单词	totem
释义	totem [ toh-tuhm ] / ˈtoʊ təm / SEE SYNONYMS FOR totem 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 with which a family or sib considers itself closely related. a representation of such an object serving as the distinctive mark of the clan or group. anything serving as a distinctive, often venerated, emblem or symbol. Origin of totem 1750–60, Americanism;<Ojibwa ninto·te·m my totem, oto·te·man his totem (probably originally my 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/, adjectiveto·tem·i·cal·ly, adverbsub·to·tem, nounsub·to·tem·ic, adjective Words nearby totem totara, tote, tote bag, tote board, tote box, totem, totemism, totemist, totemite, totem pole, tote road Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for totem He would never deign me with any sort of acknowledgment, because I was too low on the totem pole. Chloe Sevigny on ‘The Cosmopolitans,’ New York’s Frat Boy Takeover, and ‘Asshole’ Michael Alig\|Marlow Stern\|August 24, 2014\|DAILY BEAST That is something I look at as a totem of what movies used to be. The Director Isn’t Done Yet: An Interview With Steven Soderbergh\|Andrew Romano\|August 1, 2014\|DAILY BEAST But as the U.S. killed all those leaders, the strikes continued and began working their way down the totem pole. Everything You Need to Know About Drones\|Josh Dzieza\|February 7, 2013\|DAILY BEAST “Totem” is by a very young Singaporean artist named Chun Kai Feng, now having his first solo show at Fost Gallery in Singapore. A Totem to Public Housing\|Blake Gopnik\|January 23, 2013\|DAILY BEAST She was willing to talk to the most senior people or the lowest person on the totem pole. Susan Rice’s Personality 'Disorder'\|Lloyd Grove\|December 12, 2012\|DAILY BEAST I withdrew the—a—contents—and substituted for them my totem. Fernley House\|Laura E. Richards Examples of the totem in myth are, as has been said, frequent. An Introduction to Mythology\|Lewis Spence Binger states that the manati was the totem of the Mande group, to which perhaps belonged originally the Susu and the Dyula. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 5\|Various The lizard is a totem, a worshipful animal in New Caledonia. Custom and Myth\|Andrew Lang The nephew asserts that he paid $2060 for the carving and making of the totem. Alaska\|Ella Higginson 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 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. Words related to totem emblem, representation, token, symbol, figure 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.
随便看	co-own cooze cop copacetic cop a feel copaiba copaiba oil copal copalm cop a plea coparcenary coparcener co-parent copartner copartnership copay copayment copd cope copeck copehan copemate copen copenhagen copenhagen blue

totem

noun

Origin of totem

OTHER WORDS FROM totem

Words nearby totem

Example sentences from the Web for totem

British Dictionary definitions for totem

noun

Derived forms of totem

Word Origin for totem

Idioms and Phrases with totem

Words related to totem

Cultural definitions for totem