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hocus-pocus

ho·cus-po·cus
H h

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [hoh-kuh s-poh-kuh s]
    • /ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs/
    • /ˌhəʊ.kəsˈpəʊ.kəs/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hoh-kuh s-poh-kuh s]
    • /ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs/

Definitions of hocus-pocus word

  • noun hocus-pocus a meaningless chant or expression used in conjuring or incantation. 1
  • noun hocus-pocus a juggler's trick; sleight of hand. 1
  • noun hocus-pocus trickery; deception. 1
  • noun hocus-pocus unnecessarily mysterious or elaborate activity or talk to cover up a deception, magnify a simple purpose, etc. 1
  • verb with object hocus-pocus to play tricks on or with. 1
  • verb without object hocus-pocus to perform tricks; practice trickery or deception. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of hocus-pocus

First appearance:

before 1615
One of the 41% oldest English words
First recorded in 1615-25; pseudo-Latin rhyming formula used by jugglers and magicians

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Hocus-pocus

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

hocus-pocus popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 32% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

Synonyms for hocus-pocus

noun hocus-pocus

  • abracadabra — Abracadabra is a word that someone says when they are performing a magic trick in order to make the magic happen.
  • mystification — to perplex (a person) by playing upon the person's credulity; bewilder purposely.
  • nonsense — words or language having little or no sense or meaning.
  • hoax — something intended to deceive or defraud: The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.
  • incantation — the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.

Antonyms for hocus-pocus

noun hocus-pocus

  • frankness — plainness of speech; candor; openness.
  • honesty — the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
  • reality — the state or quality of being real.
  • truthfulness — telling the truth, especially habitually: a truthful person.
  • uprightness — erect or vertical, as in position or posture.

See also

Matching words

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