Fetish

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: fÄ•tʹĭsh, IPA: /ˈfÉ›t.ɪʃ/

Alternative forms

• fetich dated 18^th C.–present

Origin

From French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço, from Latin factīcius ("artificial")

Full definition of fetish

Noun

1. Something which is believed to possess, contain, or cause spiritual or magical powers; an amulet or a talisman. from the early 17th c.
2. Something sexual or nonsexual, such as an object or a part of the body, which arouses sexual desire or is necessary for one to reach full sexual satisfaction. from the early 19th c.I know a guy who has a foot fetish.
3. (US) An irrational, or abnormal fixation or preoccupation. from the 19th c.
• 1933: We have a feeling that it must be "honest" work, because it is hard and disagreeable, and we have made a sort of fetish of manual work. -- George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London, Ch. XXII, pg. 117 (Harvest
  Harcourt paperback edition).

Related terms

• fetishism
• fetishist
• fetishistic
• fetishlike
• fetishize
• fetishwear