Fetishist
/ˈfɛt.ɪ.ʃɪst/noun
A person who has an excessive or obsessive interest in a particular object, idea, or body part.
Did you know?The chain behind *fetishist* runs through Portuguese *feitiço* (“charm, sorcery”), from Latin *facticius* (“artificial, made by art”), so the word’s oldest history is tied to making power through crafted things.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
facticius
“Artificial, made by art or craft.”
Old French
French
fetiche
“A charm, spell, or magical object.”
16th Century
Portuguese
feitiço
“A spell, enchantment, or sorcery; also something artificially made.”
18th Century
English
fetish
“An object believed to have magical powers; later, an object of irrational reverence.”
19th Century
English
fetishist
“A person who practices or exhibits fetishism, especially obsessive attachment to an object or body part.”