fetiche

A Roman fetiche delivers a message to a consul.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An object believed to have magical powers: In anthropology, a "fetiche" (also spelled "fetish") is an inanimate object worshipped for its supposed supernatural power or ability to bring good luck.
   • A talisman or charm: A "fetiche" can refer to a small object carried or worn for protection or magical benefit.
   • An object of irrational devotion: More broadly, a "fetiche" is anything that is excessively or obsessively admired or valued beyond its practical worth.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The tribe considered the carved stone a sacred fetiche. (An object believed to hold magical powers.)
  • She kept a rabbit's foot as a fetiche for good luck. (A talisman or charm.)
  • His collection of vintage watches became a personal fetiche. (An object of excessive fascination.)

Advanced Usage

• "to serve as a fetiche": to function as a symbolic or magical object.

  • The golden statue served as a fetiche for the community's prosperity. (It was believed to bring wealth.)

• "fetiche of the market": a term used in economics to describe money or commodities treated as having intrinsic, almost magical value.

  • In capitalist societies, money can become a fetiche, overshadowing its true function as a medium of exchange. (Money is worshipped as if it has supernatural power.)

Variants and Related Words

• Fetish (n): the more common modern spelling of "fetiche," meaning an object of irrational devotion or a sexual fixation.
  • She has a fetish for antique furniture. (An obsessive interest.)
• Fetishism (n): the belief in or worship of fetishes; also, a psychological condition involving sexual attraction to objects.
  • Fetishism is common in many traditional religions. (Worship of objects.)

Synonyms

• Talisman: an object believed to bring good luck or protection.
• Charm: a small object worn for magical protection.
• Amulet: an object worn to ward off evil.
• Icon: a symbol or object of devotion.

Phrasal Verbs

• None directly associated with "fetiche."

Related Idioms

• Make a fetish of something: to treat something with excessive or irrational devotion.

  • He makes a fetish of cleanliness, scrubbing every surface daily. (He is obsessively devoted to cleanliness.)

• Fetish for order: an extreme, almost magical attachment to orderliness.

  • Her fetish for order made her reorganize the bookshelf every week. (Her obsession with order.)