[toh-tuh
m] 
| 1. | a natural object or an animate being, as an animal or bird, assumed as the emblem of a clan, family, or group. |
| 2. | an object or natural phenomenon with which a family or sib considers itself closely related. |
| 3. | a representation of such an object serving as the distinctive mark of the clan or group. |
| 4. | anything serving as a distinctive, often venerated, emblem or symbol. |
[toh-tem-ik] , adjective