totem pole
noun1
A Native American sculpture found in the Pacific Northwest, made by carving trees, and usually displaying symbolic figures that represent clan lineage, cultural beliefs, or historical events.
- Many visitors to France will go back to the States after a three months' fling of night spots and sight-seeing without remarking that can-can girls and champagne play about the same part in French life today as the tom-tom and totem pole in American life.1949 June 26, Ann Hightower, “If Paris Is Can-Can, New York Is Tom-Tom”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, page 167:
2
Figuratively A hierarchy or ranking of importance.
- The teacher's pet was fairly high on the class totem pole.
- Derived terms
- high on the totem pole, low on the totem pole
- Hyponyms
- family pole, memorial pole, mortuary pole, ridicule pole, shame pole, welcome pole