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