Illustration of totem pole
- totem pole 1
totem pole
noun
1
: a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage and often mythical or historical incidents and erected by Indian tribes of the northwest coast of North America
2
: an order of rank : hierarchy
Examples of totem pole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leave time to meet Indigenous artists in the Carving House and discover the meaning of totem poles at Totem Park.
—
Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2025
Ketchikan, famous for being the Salmon Capital of the World, is teeming with small-town charm, Native American totem poles, and a lively lumberjack show the kids will be talking about all week.
—Disney Cruise Line, AFAR Media, 7 May 2025
By Rhonda Ryan, LCSW, Family Support Program Director at Friends of Karen, and Siobhan Casey, ATR-BC, LCAT, Creative Arts Therapist at Friends of Karen
There is no totem pole of grief, but if there were, the loss of a child would be at the top.
—Friends Of Karen, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
For the Maori, for example, in New Zealand, humans are lowest on the totem pole of the natural world, says Meghan Robinson, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia who is completing her doctoral research on the Rights of Nature.
—India Nye Wenner, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem pole
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Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2025
Ketchikan, famous for being the Salmon Capital of the World, is teeming with small-town charm, Native American totem poles, and a lively lumberjack show the kids will be talking about all week.
—Disney Cruise Line, AFAR Media, 7 May 2025
By Rhonda Ryan, LCSW, Family Support Program Director at Friends of Karen, and Siobhan Casey, ATR-BC, LCAT, Creative Arts Therapist at Friends of Karen
There is no totem pole of grief, but if there were, the loss of a child would be at the top.
—Friends Of Karen, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
For the Maori, for example, in New Zealand, humans are lowest on the totem pole of the natural world, says Meghan Robinson, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia who is completing her doctoral research on the Rights of Nature.
—India Nye Wenner, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem pole
Cite this Entry
“Totem pole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totem%20pole. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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