noun. 1. a revered natural force, plant, animal, or inanimate item which is thought of as the symbol, ancestor, safeguard or, or tutelary spirit of a society, group/clan, or commune. 2. as interpreted by Sigmund Freud, in Totem unit Taboo, any symbol or representation of the primal father.
TOTEM: “A totem is generally construed as the concentration of specific ritual acts and taboos, commonly against killing or ingesting it.”