- hocus-pocus
- ho|cus-po|cus [ ,houkəs `poukəs ] noun uncountan activity or a belief that you think has no value and is intended to trick people
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.
hocus-pocus
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Hocus Pocus — Hocus pocus, hocus pocus, or hokus pokus is a term used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It may also refer to: Contents 1 Books 2 Film and television 3 Music 4 … Wikipedia
Hocus pocus — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hocus Pocus est une locution utilisée par les magiciens. On la retrouve en outre dans : Sommaire 1 Résumé 2 Cinéma … Wikipédia en Français
hocus-pocus — 1620s, Hocas Pocas, common name of a magician or juggler, a sham Latin invocation used in tricks, probably based on a perversion of the sacramental blessing from the Mass, Hoc est corpus meum This is my body. The first to make this speculation on … Etymology dictionary
hocus-pocus — [hō′kəspō′kəs] n. [imitation L, prob. altered < hax pax (max Deus adimax), arbitrary magic formula attributed to medieval traveling scholars] 1. meaningless words used as a formula by conjurers 2. a magician s trick or trickery; sleight of… … English World dictionary
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 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Hocus-pocus — Ho cus po cus, v. t. To cheat. [Colloq.] L Estrange. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Hocus pocus — Hocus pocus, 1) Wörter, welche Taschenspieler bei ihren Kunststücken aussprechen. Man hat die etymologische Abstammung dieser Formel von hoc est corpus aus dem Missale; od. von dem wallisischen hocced, Betrug; od. dem englischen pocke, Tasche u.a … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon
Hocus Pocus — Hocus Pocus, S. Hokus Pokus … Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart
hocus-pocus — mummery, *gibberish, abracadabra … New Dictionary of Synonyms
hocus-pocus — [n] deception, magic abracadabra*, artifice, cant, chant, charm, cheating, chicanery, conjuring, deceit, delusion, flimflam*, fraud, gibberish, gobbledegook*, hoax, humbug, imposture, incantation, jargon, juggling, legerdemain, mumbo jumbo*,… … New thesaurus
hocus-pocus — ► NOUN 1) meaningless talk used to deceive. 2) a form of words used by a conjuror. ORIGIN from hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo Latin phrase used as a magic formula by conjurors … English terms dictionary
