to ‧ tem /ˈtəʊtəm $ ˈtoʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: Ojibwa ; Origin: ototeman 'his totem' ]
an animal, plant etc that is thought to have a special ↑ spiritual connection with a particular tribe, especially in North America, or a figure made to look like the animal etc
—totemic /təʊˈtemɪk $ toʊ-/ adjective