fad
UK[fæd]US[fæd]
n
an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities.
Etymology
the origin of the word 'fad' is somewhat obscure, but it is believed to have emerged in the early 19th century. it may be a shortening of the word 'fiddle-faddle', a reduplicative term meaning 'trifling talk or nonsense', which itself is a playful elaboration of 'fiddle'. another theory suggests it could derive from the french word 'fadaise', meaning 'trifle' or 'nonsense'. the core semantic thread is triviality or foolishness, which evolved to describe a foolish or irrational fashion. by the late 19th century, it had settled into its modern meaning, capturing the fleeting and often arbitrary nature of popular crazes.
Analysis
the word is a simplex and cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes based on its modern english spelling.
Examples
the hula hoop was a huge fad in the late 1950s.
many diet fads are not based on sound nutritional science.
his interest in collecting those cards was just a passing fad.