totem

Noun

1. a clan or tribe identified by their kinship to a common totemic object
   • Less specific
     • kin
     • kin group
     • kinship group
     • kindred
     • clan
     • tribe
   • Members
     • totemist
2. emblem consisting of an object such as an animal or plant; serves as the symbol of a family or clan (especially among American Indians)
   • Less specific
     • emblem
   • Related
     • totemic
   • Region
     • United States
     • United States of America
     • America
     • the States
     • US
     • U
     • USA
     • U

From LookUp: Noun

1. Anthropology a natural object or animal that is believed by a particular society to have spiritual significance and that is adopted by it as an emblem.

a person or thing regarded as being symbolic or representative of a particular quality or concept the fast food chains have become totems of Western economic development | the newspaper is seen as a totem of media independence and integrity