A total prohibition of intercourse with, use of, or approach to, a given person or thing under pain of death, -- an interdict of religious origin and authority, formerly common in the islands of Polynesia; interdiction.
To put under taboo; to forbid, or to forbid the use of; to interdict approach to, or use of; as, to taboo the ground set apart as a sanctuary for criminals.
Set apart or sacred by religious custom among certain races of Polynesia, New Zealand, etc., and forbidden to certain persons or uses; hence, prohibited under severe penalties; interdicted; as, food, places, words, customs, etc., may be taboo.
a prohibition or restriction that results from tradition or custom.
Also known as Tabu. Polynesian word describing anything that is banned or prohibited.
editorial or publishing policy which excludes publication of works dealing with certain subject matter without regard to the merit of the work.
A formally prohibited object, person, place, or action. According to Frazer, taboos are ritual devices used to rid a community of evil or impurity. Subjects undergoing initiation rites, and mythic heroes facing the road of trials, are often prohibited from certain substances, places, or persons in order to preserve their purity and to withstand the challenges ahead. A modern example is the prohibiting of food and drink for 24 hours prior to the taking of Holy Communion, observed by Roman Catholics.
cultural rules or practices of avoidance.
a prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature
an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
declare as sacred and forbidden
excluded from use or mention; "forbidden fruit"; "in our house dancing and playing cards were out"; "a taboo subject"
forbidden to profane use especially in South Pacific islands
a prohibition set up by a religious or social group as a standard of acceptance as "good"
a strong social prohibition, which can relate to any area of human activity
a word or phrase that is banned from being posted to the mailing list
A culture-bound ban that excludes certain behaviors from common use.
A prohibition that, if violated, is believed to bring supernatural punishment.
something a person is forbidden to do
Freud's term for anything that is strongly prohibited or banned within a culture because of its sacred or special nature. Freud is especially interested in the "psychological" implications of the incest taboo.
from the Polynesian word tabu; any act, condition or type of physical contact that, if undertaken or manifested, could result in adverse consequences for the well being of the given tribe or community. Traditional examples would include an uninitiated person's contact with sacred places, persons or objects, or unacknowledged incest or adultery. In contemporary Asian cultures, for example, it is generally considered taboo to touch the head of one who is older than oneself. In the West, many acts which are now considered more or less as "bad form" were probably at one time regarded as taboo in the stricter sense of the term.
A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) against words, objects, actions, discussions, or people that are considered undesirable by a group, culture, or society. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent. Some taboo activities or customs are prohibited under law and transgressions may lead to severe penalties.
Taboo is a famous pornographic movie series of the 1980s, which deals with mother-son incest. It stars Kay Parker, and was directed by Kirdy Stevens and others.