TOTEM


Meaning of TOTEM in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈtō-təm ]

noun

Etymology: Ojibwa oto·te·man his totem

Date: circa 1776

1.

a. : an object (as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry ; also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object

b. : a family or clan identified by a common totemic object

2. : one that serves as an emblem or revered symbol

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.