Hocus
/ˈhoʊ.kəs/noun
To deceive or trick someone, especially with sleight of hand or fraud.
Did you know?The word is often linked to the magician’s trick phrase “hocus pocus,” likely a mock-Latin flourish used by conjurers, though its exact origin is uncertain and debated.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
hocus
“A term used in trickery and conjuring, especially as part of a magician’s patter or deception”
17th Century
English
hocus-pocus
“A juggler’s or magician’s formula, probably intended to sound like sacred Latin”
Late 17th Century
English
hocus
“To cheat, deceive, or trick by sleight of hand”
Modern English
English
hocus
“To deceive or swindle; also used in the phrase 'hocus-pocus'”
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