hocus-pocus

[ hoh-kuhs-poh-kuhs ]

noun

1. a meaningless chant or expression used in conjuring or incantation.
2. a juggler's trick; sleight of hand.
3. trickery; deception.

   Synonyms: double-dealing, hanky-panky, dishonesty, deceit

4. 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.

1. 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.

1. to perform tricks; practice trickery or deception.

hocus-pocus

/ ˈhəʊkəsˈpəʊkəs /

noun

1. trickery or chicanery
2. mystifying jargon
3. an incantation used by conjurors or magicians when performing tricks
4. conjuring skill or practice

verb

1. to deceive or trick (someone)

Word History and Origins

Origin of hocus-pocus¹

First recorded in 1615–25; pseudo-Latin rhyming formula used by jugglers and magicians

Word History and Origins

Origin of hocus-pocus¹

C17: perhaps a dog-Latin formation invented by jugglers

Example Sentences

“You don’t need any hocus-pocus. All you need to do is focus.”

From Literature

The happy resolution is earned by more than hocus-pocus.

From Los Angeles Times

When Becky isn’t dealing with the repercussions of using hocus-pocus to fix her life, she’s conversing with her dead daughter or stepping into Rebecca’s memories.

From New York Times

The idea was to dismantle the hocus-pocus of concert dance, and in her early work, Tharp came on stern like her Judson elders.

From New York Times

Salesforce deployed 14 tax subsidiaries scattered from Singapore to Switzerland, moving its money and assets around in a masterful display of accounting hocus-pocus that made its taxable income vanish.

From New York Times