Hocusing
/ˈhoʊ.kəsɪŋ/noun
Present participle of hocus, meaning to trick, cheat, or drug someone, especially to make them helpless.
Did you know?Hocus comes from the early-modern conjurer’s phrase “hocus-pocus,” whose ultimate origin is uncertain; the popular theory linking it to the Latin Mass phrase “Hoc est corpus meum” remains unproven.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
hocus-pocus
“A magician’s theatrical formula or deceptive trick; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
17th Century
English
hocus
“A shortened form associated with hocus-pocus, meaning to cheat or deceive.”
17th–18th Century
English
hocus
“To drug or stupefy a person, especially by secretly adding a narcotic to a drink.”
18th–19th Century
English
hocused
“Drugged, cheated, or rendered incapable of resistance.”
Modern English
English
hocusing
“Tricking, cheating, or drugging someone; the present participle of hocus.”
Explore more surprising origins