totem

noun TOH-tem Rare

Origin: From Ojibwe ototeman (his kinship group).

Also means

symbol; icon

Usage Note

Totem in Italian refers to a totem pole or sacred animal/object in indigenous cultures, and figuratively to any person or object treated as an untouchable symbol: una figura totem del partito (a totem figure of the party). It is invariable: i totem. The stress falls on the first syllable.

Examples

"Questo edificio è diventato un totem della città."

Natural Translation

This building has become an icon of the city.

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