Meanings
comparative more tabu · superlative most tabu
- alternativeAlternative spelling of taboo.
Things were either tabu, in which case they were dangerous, and often not to be touched or even looked upon - or they were overflowing with magic grace and influence, in which case they were holy, and any rite which released their influence was also holy.
1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 79
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveexcluded from use or mention
nouna prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature
nounan inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
tabu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabu
“tabu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabu. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tabu,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabu.
Source: tabu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.