Hocuses
/ˈhoʊkəsɪz/noun
Plural or third-person singular present form of hocus, meaning to trick, deceive, or perform magic on.
Did you know?The magician’s cry “hocus pocus” was famously linked by some early writers to a parody of the Latin Mass, though the exact origin is debated, and the verb hocus later came to mean to cheat or swindle.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
hocus
“To cheat, trick, or perform conjuring”
17th Century
English
hocus pocus
“A magician’s formula or nonsense incantation”
17th Century
English
hocuses
“Third-person singular present of hocus; also a pluralized form in some uses”
Modern English
English
hocuses
“Tricks, deceives, or performs sleight-of-hand”