Hocus Pocus
/ˌhoʊ.kəs ˈpoʊ.kəs/noun
A nonsense phrase used in magic tricks; by extension, deceptive or showy trickery.
Did you know?The phrase was popularized in the 17th century as a stage-magician’s pseudo-Latin incantation, likely parodying the sacred-sounding words of the Mass.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
hocus pocus
“A mock-magical formula used by conjurers and jugglers”
17th Century
English
hocus
“A trickster’s nonsense word, likely imitating Latin-sounding ritual speech”
17th Century
English
pocus
“A rhyming nonsense addition to strengthen the spell-like effect”
Earlier Latin liturgy
Latin
Hoc est corpus
“This is the body (from the Mass, often cited as a possible source of the phrase, though not certain)”
Modern English
English
hocus pocus
“A phrase for magic tricks, deception, or meaningless jargon”