taboo
Other forms: taboos; tabooed; tabooing
Something considered taboo is naughty, something society considers a no-no. For example, it is taboo to ask people how much money they earn.
Taboo is one of those rare words in the English language that doesn't have Greek or Latin or French roots, coming instead from the South Pacific Islands in the eighteenth century via the explorer Captain Cook. For many islanders some things were tabu, meaning not only could they not be done but they could not be talked about either for risk of offending the Gods. This latter meaning still applies today (minus the spiritual underpinning), when we say that certain subjects are "taboo," meaning off-limits for discussion.
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an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
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synonyms:
tabu
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type of:
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inhibition
the quality of being inhibited
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inhibition
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a prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature
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synonyms:
tabu
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type of:
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bias, preconception, prejudice
a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
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bias, preconception, prejudice
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excluded from use or mention“a taboo subject”
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synonyms:
forbidden, out, prohibited, proscribed, tabu, verboten
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impermissible
not permitted
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impermissible
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forbidden to profane use especially in South Pacific islands
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declare as sacred and forbidden
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type of:
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restrict
place under restrictions; limit access to
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restrict
/təˈbu/
/təˈbu/
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Vocabulary lists containing taboo
Published ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this collection of 17 essays presents the complex array of struggles that individuals face when navigating the world in a marginalized body.
Set in Dublin, Ireland, Nishat and her childhood friend Flávia contend one another in a high school contest to create the best henna business.
In this memoir, Jospeh Lemosolai Lekuton recounts his experiences of growing up as a member of the Maasai tribe in Kenya and his journey to America for college.
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