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- Dictionarytaboo/təˈbuː/
noun
- 1. a social or religious custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing: "many taboos have developed around physical exposure"
adjective
- 1. prohibited or restricted by social custom: "sex was a taboo subject"
verb
- 1. place under a taboo: "traditional societies taboo female handling of food during this period"
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TABOO definition: 1. a subject, word, or action that is avoided for religious or social reasons: 2. avoided for…. Learn more.
: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force.
Taboo describes an activity or behavior that is considered completely unacceptable or forbidden. A taboo is also the prohibition from engaging in such an activity or behavior through social rules, laws, religious doctrine , and even by your own conscience.
Something considered taboo is naughty, something society considers a no-no. For example, it is taboo to ask people how much money they earn.
1. A ban or inhibition resulting from social custom or emotional aversion. 2. a. A prohibition, especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands, excluding something from use, approach, or mention because of its sacred and inviolable nature. b. An object, word, or act protected by such a prohibition. adj.
a cultural or religious custom that does not allow people to do, use, or talk about a particular thing as people find it offensive or embarrassing an incest taboo a taboo against working on Sunday to break/violate a taboo Death is one of the great taboos in our culture. Join us.
If a subject or activity is taboo, it is a social custom to avoid doing that activity or talking about that subject, because people find it embarrassing or offensive. For some people, cancer is a taboo subject and they are too frightened or embarrassed to talk openly about it.
TABOO definition: something that you should not say or do because people generally think it is morally wrong…. Learn more.
noun. /təˈbuː/ (plural taboos) taboo (against/on something) a cultural or religious custom that does not allow people to do, use or talk about a particular thing. an incest taboo. a taboo on working on a Sunday. to break/violate a taboo. Death is one of the great taboos in our culture. Extra Examples. Oxford Collocations Dictionary.
What does the word taboo mean? There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the word taboo. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. taboo has developed meanings and uses in subjects including. religion (late 1700s) linguistics (1820s) cultural anthropology (1890s) See meaning & use. How common is the word taboo?
