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fetish
[ fet-ish, occasionally, fee-tish ]
noun
- any object, part of the body, or activity that is ordinarily regarded as nonsexual and causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.
- a habitual erotic response to or fixation on an object, part of the body, or activity ordinarily regarded as nonsexual.
- unconventional sexual practices involving an object, part of the body, or activity ordinarily regarded as nonsexual, considered collectively.
- Anthropology. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.
- any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion:
We shouldn't make a fetish of high grades, as there are other ways of measuring success.
It's no secret that the previous administration had a fetish for secrecy.
fetish
/ ˈfiːtɪʃ; ˈfɛtɪʃ /
noun
- something, esp an inanimate object, that is believed in certain cultures to be the embodiment or habitation of a spirit or magical powers
- a form of behaviour involving fetishism
- any object that is involved in fetishism
- any object, activity, etc, to which one is excessively or irrationally devoted
to make a fetish of cleanliness
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Notes
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Derived Forms
- ˈfetish-ˌlike, adjective
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Other Words From
- fet·ish·like adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of fetish1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of fetish1
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Example Sentences
Once you toss out the fetish for the “natural,” new options emerge.
I make a fetish of trying to spend enough hours in bed that I virtually never have to wake up to an alarm clock.
Later, we learn that sexual fetishes develop for the new power, and that men are held to be particularly susceptible to sexual masochism and the longing to be shocked in bed.
After all, in our cultural scripts, a fat partner is a failure at best, a shameful, pathological fetish at worst.
Squash fetishes, on the other hand, indicate a desire to be sat on or pinned beneath their partner’s body.
Two of the “Fetish” sculptures by the artist known as B. Wurtz, from his solo show now at Metro Pictures in New York.
Valle plunged to depths most of us cannot even imagine, via an Internet portal called Dark Fetish Network.
Trichophilia: Hair Fetish Those that are sexually aroused by human hair are known as trichophiles.
Podophilia: Foot Fetish I was topless, sitting on a table barefoot stomping on bananas and yogurt.
Capnolagnia: Smoking Fetish I hate the smell of cigarettes.
The craft of the Fetish-man comes under none of the preceding categories.
On this occasion, the king of the village and the staff of Fetish men connected with it, take part.
His Fetish was a wooden bowl behind which he squatted at the roadside by way of adoration.
The realization of abstractions was not the embodiment of a word, but the gradual disembodiment of a Fetish.
His playful introduction showed him a child of Mystery, moved by Voices and inspired by a Fetish.
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Related Words
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About This Word
What is a fetish?
The word fetish is used in the context of some religions to refer to an object believed to have supernatural power or to contain a spirit, especially an object that has been created, such as a small carving or sculpture.
Practitioners of such religions mayuse fetishes during religious ceremonies or as charms during other activities, such as hunting. They are treated with reverence due to the belief that they contain a spirit or have a special magical power.
Example: The shaman began the ceremony by placing the fetish on the altar.
Based on this sense, fetish can also be used in a more general way to refer to something that is obsessed over or treated with devotion, as in a fetish for collecting fine wine.
The word fetish is also commonly used to refer to nonsexual things or body parts that cause sexual arousal, as in I have a fetish for glasses. Often, another word is used to specify a person’s sexual fetish, as in foot fetish or food fetish.
Where does fetish come from?
The first records of the word fetish come from the early 1600s. It ultimately comes from the Latin factīcius, meaning “factitious” or “artificial.”
Not all religious objects are referred to as fetishes. This is especially the case for religions whose members do not believe that objects themselves contain spiritual power. In fact, some religions prohibit the use or treatment of objects in this way, referring to such practices as idolatry.
The sexual sense of the word fetish is commonly used in relation to personal sexual preferences and in the context of graphic sexual content. Fetishes thought to be particularly uncommon are sometimes referred to as kinks.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to fetish?
What are some synonyms for fetish?
What are some words that share a root or word element with fetish?
What are some words that often get used in discussing fetish?
How is fetish used in real life?
The word fetish is most commonly used in a sexual context.
is it a foot fetish if i only like the feet with socks?
— emo(lga) (@kenmasghost) October 21, 2020
What's up with the French maid fetish? Have you ever looked at a French person and went, "I bet that person knows how to clean"
— Jason 🧢 Chen (@diskopo) March 18, 2011
I might have a fetish for tall women and I am not ashamed…
— Schemey (@DJSchemes) September 5, 2019
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