totem

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Along the oil-streaked shores of Lake Maracaibo — actually a massive coastal lagoon, fed by both freshwater rivers and the Caribbean — the vestiges of a once-thriving enterprise stand out like totems from a past civilization.

From Los Angeles Times

He has become the totem of this game, but he's 24th man on Saturday.

From BBC

"It is a totem of celebration for Chinese people and people around the world," he said.

From Barron's

Indeed, it is difficult to think of any place outside the tribal areas of Afghanistan or Waziristan where the firearm is such a cultural totem.

From Salon

It’s an indelibly amusing and heartbreaking totem, suggesting play and suffering, and eventually manifesting wounds both real and internalized.

From Los Angeles Times