hoodoo

[ hoo-doo ]

/ ˈhu du /

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See synonyms for hoodoo on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural hoo·doos.

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, Voodoo (def. 1).

(in popular culture) bad luck, or a person or thing that brings bad luck.

Geology. a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.

verb (used with object), hoo·dooed, hoo·doo·ing.

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

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Origin of hoodoo

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

Words nearby hoodoo

hoodie, hoodlum, hoodman-blind, hood molding, hood mould, hoodoo, Hoodooism, hood rat, hoodwink, hoodwinked, hooey

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hoodoo in a sentence

Thorien loves Goblin Valley State Park for its otherworldly landscape filled with towering sandstone hoodoos.
Your Guide to Camping in Southern Utah|eriley|August 27, 2021|Outside Online
Surreal hoodoos and mind-blowing rock sculptures soar above stark sandstone, shale, and coal landscapes—once covered by ancient sea.
50 U.S. Wilderness Areas, Ranked|eriley|July 26, 2021|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.
Why We Should Be Turning Former Mines into Trails|Heather Hansman|May 29, 2021|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.
The Best Hipcamp for Every National Park|Emily Pennington|May 19, 2021|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.
7 Memorial Day Weekend Getaways|Megan Michelson|May 12, 2021|Outside Online
Created more jobs than any modern president, in the process showing people that trickle-down economics was hoodoo.
One’s a Weiner, the Other a Hero: Why Bill and Hillary Have Nothing in Common With Anthony and Huma|Michael Tomasky|July 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Before I'd gone five miles the hoodoo that had been working overtime on my behalf got busy again.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
A sure 'hoodoo' it must be, to warp a man's judgment like that!
Told In The Hills|Marah Ellis Ryan
He explored and reported upon the Hoodoo region, and first called prominent attention to the noble caon of the Middle Gardiner.
The Yellowstone National Park|Hiram Martin Chittenden
I knowed you want no good the first time I set eyes on yer, a-sayin hoodoo words over the poor dumb beast.
Short Sixes|H. C. Bunner
The "Thirteen" hoodoo came near to finding believers among those on the Knickerbocker before Cuba was reached.
Springfield in the Spanish American War|Walter W. Ward

British Dictionary definitions for hoodoo

hoodoo

/ (ˈhuːduː) /

noun plural -doos

a variant of voodoo

informal a person or thing that brings bad luck

informal bad luck

(in the western US and Canada) a strangely shaped column of rock

verb -doos, -dooing or -dooed

(tr) informal to bring bad luck to

Derived forms of hoodoo

hoodooism, noun

Word Origin for hoodoo

C19: variant of voodoo

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

hoodoo

Origin of hoodoo

Words nearby hoodoo

Words related to hoodoo

How to use hoodoo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hoodoo

Derived forms of hoodoo

Word Origin for hoodoo