Hocus
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈhəʊkəs/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Hocus is a verb meaning To play a trick on, to trick (someone); to hoax; to cheat.
Meaning
To play a trick on, to trick (someone); to hoax; to cheat.
More Meanings
- Trick; trickery.
- (obsolete) To stupefy (someone) with drugged liquor (especially in order to steal from them).
- (obsolete) To drug (liquor).
- (obsolete) To adulterate (food).
- (obsolete) A magician, illusionist, one who practises sleight of hand.
- (obsolete) One who cheats or deceives.
- (obsolete) Drugged liquor.
Example Sentences
HOCUS. To cheat. Hence the more modern term hoax.
“You really are married by a priest or parson, not just hocussing me?”
“Well, I reckon you have lived in the country. I thought maybe you was trying to hocus me again […].”
[…] he frantically reiterated his charge, that he had been robbed and hocussed in that house, that night, by Mrs. Brandon.
Word Forms
- hocuses
- hocusses
- hocusing
- hocussing
- hocused
- hocussed
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include hocus-pocus, have, hose, fool, cozen, betrick.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.