hoodoo

[ hoo-doo ]

noun

, plural hoo·doos.

1. Hoodoo. African American folk magic practiced predominantly in the southeastern United States through rituals of protection, herbal medicine, charming of objects, and ancestor veneration. Compare Vodou ( def ), Voodoo ( def 1 ).
2. (in popular culture) bad luck, or a person or thing that brings bad luck.
3. Geology. a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.

verb (used with object)

, hoo·dooed, hoo·doo·ing.

1. (in popular culture) to bring or cause bad luck to.

hoodoo

/ ˈhuːduː /

noun

1. See voodoo
   a variant of voodoo
2. informal.
   a person or thing that brings bad luck
3. informal.
   bad luck
4. (in the western US and Canada) a strangely shaped column of rock

verb

1. informal.
   tr to bring bad luck to

Derived Forms

• ˈhoodooism, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoodoo¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; apparently a variant of Voodoo

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoodoo¹

C19: variant of voodoo

Example Sentences

Thorien loves Goblin Valley State Park for its otherworldly landscape filled with towering sandstone hoodoos.

From Outside Online

Surreal hoodoos and mind-blowing rock sculptures soar above stark sandstone, shale, and coal landscapes—once covered by ancient sea.

From Outside Online

The trail climbs to an overlook of the Green River then drops into a twisty valley of hoodoos striped red, cream, and gold.

From Outside Online

Nestled in the middle of Grand Staircase Escalante, these well-spaced sites each have a fire ring and are ideal for tent campers who want solitude while taking in the spiraling hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.

From Outside Online

Take a drive on Hole in the Rock Road to explore hoodoos in Devils Garden or hike the family-friendly Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch slot canyons.

From Outside Online

Created more jobs than any modern president, in the process showing people that trickle-down economics was hoodoo.

From The Daily Beast

Before I'd gone five miles the hoodoo that had been working overtime on my behalf got busy again.

From Project Gutenberg

A sure 'hoodoo' it must be, to warp a man's judgment like that!

From Project Gutenberg

He explored and reported upon the Hoodoo region, and first called prominent attention to the noble caon of the Middle Gardiner.

From Project Gutenberg

I knowed you want no good the first time I set eyes on yer, a-sayin hoodoo words over the poor dumb beast.

From Project Gutenberg

The "Thirteen" hoodoo came near to finding believers among those on the Knickerbocker before Cuba was reached.

From Project Gutenberg