TABOO

I. adjective also tabu Etymology: Tongan tabu Date: 1777 forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers, 2. banned on grounds of morality or taste , banned as constituting a risk , II. noun also tabu (plural ~s; also tabus) Date: 1777 a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force, a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure, belief in ~s, III. transitive verb also tabu Date: 1777 to set apart as ~ especially by marking with a ritualistic symbol, to avoid or ban as ~