hocus-pocus
[ hoh-kuhs-poh-kuhs ]
/ ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs /
Save This Word!
noun
a meaningless chant or expression used in conjuring or incantation.
a juggler's trick; sleight of hand.
trickery; deception.
unnecessarily mysterious or elaborate activity or talk to cover up a deception, magnify a simple purpose, etc.
verb (used with object), ho·cus-po·cused, ho·cus-po·cus·ing or (especially British) ho·cus-po·cussed, ho·cus-po·cus·sing.
to play tricks on or with.
verb (used without object), ho·cus-po·cused, ho·cus-po·cus·ing or (especially British) ho·cus-po·cussed, ho·cus-po·cus·sing.
to perform tricks; practice trickery or deception.
SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of hocus-pocus
First recorded in 1615–25; pseudo-Latin rhyming formula used by jugglers and magicians
Words nearby hocus-pocus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for hocus-pocus
British Dictionary definitions for hocus-pocus
hocus-pocus
/ (ˈhəʊkəsˈpəʊkəs) /
noun
trickery or chicanery
mystifying jargon
an incantation used by conjurors or magicians when performing tricks
conjuring skill or practice
verb -cuses, -cusing, -cused, -cuses, -cussing or -cussed
to deceive or trick (someone)
Word Origin for hocus-pocus
C17: perhaps a dog-Latin formation invented by jugglers
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012