taboo

²taboo

noun

plural taboos also tabus

Definition of TABOO

1

: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force

2

: a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure

3

: belief in taboos

Variants of TABOO

taboo also tabu

Examples of TABOO

1. religious taboos against drinking alcohol
2. Marrying a close relative is a taboo in many cultures.

First Known Use of TABOO

1777

Other Occult Terms

augury, censor, invocation, lucidity, metempsychosis, mojo, numinous, preternatural, weird, wraith