Hocus Pocus

B1 8+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ˈhoʊkəs ˈpoʊkəs/

Definitions of hocus pocus

noun a term used to refer to magic or trickery, often associated with incantations or spells

Example Sentences

A1 The magician said 'hocus pocus' before making the rabbit disappear.

A2 Children love to say 'hocus pocus' when pretending to do magic tricks.

B1 The old book contained a spell that required saying 'hocus pocus'.

B2 The illusionist performed a series of 'hocus pocus' tricks that amazed the audience.

C1 The con artist used 'hocus pocus' to deceive people into giving him money.

C2 The master magician's 'hocus pocus' act was so flawless that no one could figure out the tricks.

Examples of hocus pocus in a Sentence

formal The magician performed a series of intricate hocus pocus tricks during the show.

informal I don't believe in all that hocus pocus magic stuff.

slang She tried to pull off some hocus pocus to get out of doing her chores.

figurative The CEO used some financial hocus pocus to make the company's profits appear higher than they actually were.

Grammatical Forms of hocus pocus

past tense

hocus pocused

plural

hocus pocuses

comparative

more hocus pocus

superlative

most hocus pocus

present tense

hocus pocus

future tense

will hocus pocus

perfect tense

has hocus pocused

continuous tense

is hocus pocusing

singular

hocus pocus

positive degree

hocus pocus

infinitive

to hocus pocus

gerund

hocus pocusing

participle

hocus pocused

Origin and Evolution of hocus pocus

First Known Use: 1634 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The phrase 'hocus pocus' is believed to have originated from a Latin phrase used in the Catholic Mass, 'Hoc est corpus meum' meaning 'This is my body'. It was used by magicians and tricksters to distract and confuse their audience during performances.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'hocus pocus' has evolved to refer to any kind of deceptive or misleading language or behavior, often used in a playful or humorous context. It is commonly associated with magic tricks and illusions.