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totem

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totem

Main Entry:: to·tem
Pronunciation:: \ˈtō-təm\
Function:: 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 object2: one that serves as an emblem or revered symbol

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