totem pote
Preserved but no longer current.
The post standing before a dwelling on which grotesque and, frequently, brilliantly coloured representations of the totem were carved or hung. It is often of great size, and sometimes so broad at the base that an archway is cut through it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “totem pote” mean?
The post standing before a dwelling on which grotesque and, frequently, brilliantly coloured representations of the totem were carved or hung. It is often of great size, and sometimes so broad at the base that an archway is cut through it.
Is “totem pote” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.