noun
1.
a. : a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage often interspersed with references to mythical or historical incidents and erected before the houses of Indian tribes of the northwest coast of No. America especially of the Tlingit and Skittagetan language families
the totem pole was … a symbol of family pride — L.H.Appleton
b. : something that resembles a totem pole
made a big totem pole for the Scout jamboree
2. : an order of rank : hierarchy
entertain top men on the political totem pole — Mary Thayer
[s]totempol.jpg[/s] [
totem pole 1
]