Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [hoh-kuh s-poh-kuh s]
- /ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs/
- /ˌhəʊ.kəsˈpəʊ.kəs/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hoh-kuh s-poh-kuh s]
- /ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs/
Definitions of hocus-pocus word
- noun hocus-pocus a meaningless chant or expression used in conjuring or incantation. 1
- noun hocus-pocus a juggler's trick; sleight of hand. 1
- noun hocus-pocus trickery; deception. 1
- noun hocus-pocus unnecessarily mysterious or elaborate activity or talk to cover up a deception, magnify a simple purpose, etc. 1
- verb with object hocus-pocus to play tricks on or with. 1
- verb without object hocus-pocus to perform tricks; practice trickery or deception. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of hocus-pocus
First appearance:
before 1615 One of the 41% oldest English words
First recorded in 1615-25; pseudo-Latin rhyming formula used by jugglers and magicians
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Hocus-pocus
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
hocus-pocus popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 32% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.
Synonyms for hocus-pocus
noun hocus-pocus
- abracadabra — Abracadabra is a word that someone says when they are performing a magic trick in order to make the magic happen.
- mystification — to perplex (a person) by playing upon the person's credulity; bewilder purposely.
- nonsense — words or language having little or no sense or meaning.
- hoax — something intended to deceive or defraud: The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.
- incantation — the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.
Antonyms for hocus-pocus
noun hocus-pocus
- frankness — plainness of speech; candor; openness.
- honesty — the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
- reality — the state or quality of being real.
- truthfulness — telling the truth, especially habitually: a truthful person.
- uprightness — erect or vertical, as in position or posture.
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with h
- Words starting with ho
- Words starting with hoc
- Words starting with hocu
- Words starting with hocus
- Words starting with hocusp
- Words starting with hocuspo
- Words starting with hocuspoc
- Words starting with hocuspocu
- Words starting with hocuspocus