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fetish

noun
fe·​tish | \ ˈfe-tish also ˈfē- How to pronounce fetish (audio) \
variants: or less commonly fetich

Definition of fetish

1a : an object (such as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence
b : an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion : prepossession
c : an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression
2 : fixation
3 : a rite or cult of fetish worshippers
Synonyms A Brief History of Fetish Example Sentences Learn More about fetish

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A Brief History of Fetish

When fetish first appeared in English in the early 17th century, it referred to objects (often amulets) believed by certain West Africans to have supernatural powers. During the 19th century, the word took on a broader meaning: "an object of irrational devotion or reverence." The object need not be physical: a person may have a fetish for an idea, such as an unwarranted belief that a particular economic system will solve society’s ills. By the early 20th century, fetish took on yet another meaning quite distinct from its antecedents: a sexualized desire for an object (such as a shoe) or for a body part that is not directly related to the reproductive act (such as an earlobe).

Examples of fetish in a Sentence

He has a fetish for secrecy. He wore a fetish to ward off evil spirits.

Recent Examples on the Web

 From a super crushing a man’s skull as she orgasms to another super’s paraphilic infantilism fetish, Kripke uses extreme moments to build the story. — Shana O'neil, The Verge, "The Boys is a bloody manic mayhem dream show," 24 July 2019 Even when those 17,000 things include a photoshoot for a foot fetish website or wondering aloud about the life stories of Vancouver pedestrians. — Kelsea Stahler, refinery29.com, "This Is The Always Be My Maybe Behind-The-Scenes Story You Never Knew You Needed," 7 June 2019 The feminism of writers who are mothers is a fetish, but the motherhood of scholars is forbidden. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, "The Lingering of Loss," 1 July 2019 After Visalia police nearly caught the Ransacker, the fetish burglar struck three more homes, then stopped. — Tribune News Service, oregonlive.com, "The Man in the Window: First the burglaries; then the dogs started dying (Part Two)," 22 June 2019 For me, balloon fetish is all about tension and release. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "A Beginner's Guide to Balloon Fetishes, Straight From an Actual Looner," 22 May 2019 To this day, though, nobody in Europe is willing to acknowledge the biggest flaw in the continent’s now-defunct regulatory fetish for diesel. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "The Lessons of ‘Dieselgate’," 4 Jan. 2019 What’s with the New York Times and its Ken Griffin fetish? — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "How a Billionaire Spends His Money Is His Own Business," 29 Jan. 2019 And our flying-car fetish has been a bogus panacea all along—every crash would be an air disaster. — Smith Henderson, Popular Mechanics, "I Went to the Opening of Elon Musk's First Boring Company Tunnel and Here Is What I Found," 19 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fetish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fetish

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for fetish

French & Portuguese; French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço, from feitiço artificial, false, from Latin facticius factitious

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More Definitions for fetish

fetish

noun
How to pronounce fetish (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of fetish

: a strong and unusual need or desire for something
: a need or desire for an object, body part, or activity for sexual excitement
: an object that is believed to have magical powers

See the full definition for fetish in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fetish

noun
fe·​tish
variants: also fetich \ ˈfet-​ish also ˈfēt-​ \

Medical Definition of fetish

: an object or bodily part whose real or fantasized presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression

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