hocus-pocus

[ hoh-kuhs-poh-kuhs ]

/ ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of hocus-pocus

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

SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus

3 deceit, dishonesty, hanky-panky, double-dealing.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby hocus-pocus

hock leg, Hockney, hockshop, Hocktide, hocus, hocus-pocus, hod, ho-dad, hod carrier, hodden, Hodeida

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hocus-pocus

"There's some hocus-pocus about this," whispered Trask, as he and Locke moved forward for a private talk.
Isle o' Dreams|Frederick F. Moore
Can't you pull the cork out of your magnetism with your teeth and hocus-pocus them handcuffs off?'
The Gentle Grafter|O. Henry
With hocus-pocus like that no dog is lured from the stove in the real world.
Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit)|Frank Wedekind
I defy any man to look between the lines and scent my hocus-pocus game.
The Long Chance|Peter B. Kyne

If anything, she's deadly logical; when her mind puzzles us it's never by hocus-pocus, but simply by swiftness in operation.
Brother Copas|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

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

单词	hocus-pocus
释义	hocus-pocus [ hoh-kuhs-poh-kuhs ] / ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs / SEE SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus ON THESAURUS.COM 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. Origin of hocus-pocus First recorded in 1615–25; pseudo-Latin rhyming formula used by jugglers and magicians SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus 3 deceit, dishonesty, hanky-panky, double-dealing. SEE SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus ON THESAURUS.COM Words nearby hocus-pocus hock leg, Hockney, hockshop, Hocktide, hocus, hocus-pocus, hod, ho-dad, hod carrier, hodden, Hodeida Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for hocus-pocus "There's some hocus-pocus about this," whispered Trask, as he and Locke moved forward for a private talk. Isle o' Dreams\|Frederick F. Moore Can't you pull the cork out of your magnetism with your teeth and hocus-pocus them handcuffs off?' The Gentle Grafter\|O. Henry With hocus-pocus like that no dog is lured from the stove in the real world. Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit)\|Frank Wedekind I defy any man to look between the lines and scent my hocus-pocus game. The Long Chance\|Peter B. Kyne If anything, she's deadly logical; when her mind puzzles us it's never by hocus-pocus, but simply by swiftness in operation. Brother Copas\|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch 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 Words related to hocus-pocus abracadabra, mystification, nonsense, hoax, incantation, cant, juggling, artifice, jargon, cheating, deception, trickery, imposture, delusion, spell, flimflam, chicanery, charm, deceit, swindle
随便看	extra point shooting gallery shooting guard shooting iron shooting match shooting script shooting star shooting stick shooting war shootist shoot-off shoot off one's mouth shoot one's bolt shoot oneself in the foot shootout shoot straight shoot the breeze shoot the chutes shoot the works shoot through shoot-up shop shopaholic shop around shop assistant

hocus-pocus

noun

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.

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.

Origin of hocus-pocus

SYNONYMS FOR hocus-pocus

Words nearby hocus-pocus

Example sentences from the Web for hocus-pocus

British Dictionary definitions for hocus-pocus

noun

verb -cuses, -cusing, -cused, -cuses, -cussing or -cussed

Word Origin for hocus-pocus

Words related to hocus-pocus