hoodoo

American  

[hoo-doo] / ˈhu du /

noun

plural

hoodoos

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.

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.

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verb (used with object)

hoodooed, hoodooing

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

hoodoo British  

/ ˈhuːduː /

noun

1. 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

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verb

1. informal (tr) to bring bad luck to

Other Word Forms

• hoodooism noun

Etymology

Origin of hoodoo

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

Example Sentences

United have some sort of hoodoo over Villa, who have only beaten them in one of their past 26 Premier League meetings - Unai Emery's first game in charge, in November 2022.

From BBC

Mosaku: I spoke to hoodoo priestesses and that was really my main research, was kind of the faith, because that is who she is.

From Los Angeles Times

Townsend has won some big games and has ended some hoodoos.

From BBC

Needless to say, the Scots will need to raise their level to have any hope of ending that 27-year hoodoo, so how does Clarke rouse his team for a seismic camp?

From BBC

Seven times in five Tests Broad got Warner, part of an overall hoodoo of 17 dismissals.

From BBC

Related Words

• magic
• sorcery
• witchcraft
• worldview