fetish

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
fetish /ˈfɛtɪʃ/

▶noun

• 1 an inanimate object worshipped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.

• 2 a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, part of the body, etc.

• 3 an excessive and irrational commitment to a particular thing.

– derivatives
fetishism noun,
fetishist noun,
fetishistic adjective,
fetishization (or fetishisation) noun,
fetishize (or fetishise) verb.

– origin C17: from Fr. fétiche, from Port. feitiço ‘charm, sorcery’.