Hocus-pocus \Ho"cus-po"cus\, n. [Prob. invented by jugglers in
imitation of Latin. Cf. Hoax, Hocus.]
1. A term used by magicians or conjurers in pretended
incantations.
[1913 Webster]
2. A juggler or trickster. [Archaic] --Sir T. Herbert.
[1913 Webster]
3. A magician's trick; a cheat; nonsense. --Hudibras.
[1913 Webster]
4. Obfuscating talk or elaborate but meaningless activity
intended to hide a deception or to obscure what is
actually happening; verbal misrepresentation intended to
take advantage of you in some way.
Syn: trickery, slickness, hanky panky, jiggery-pokery,
skulduggery, skullduggery.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Hocus-pocus \Ho"cus-po"cus\, v. t.
To cheat. [Colloq.] --L'Estrange.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
hocus-pocus
n : verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you
in some way [syn: trickery, slickness, hanky panky,
jiggery-pokery, skulduggery, skullduggery]
[also: hocus-pocussing, hocus-pocussed]
WordNet (r) 2.0
28 Moby Thesaurus words for "hocus-pocus":
abracadabra, artifice, cheat, chicanery, con game, conjuring,
deceit, deception, duplicity, flimflam, gibberish, hanky-panky,
hoax, humbug, incantation, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain,
magic, mischief, mumbo-jumbo, nonsense, prestidigitation,
rigmarole, sleight of hand, swindle, trick, trickery
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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