hoax /həʊks $ hoʊks/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: Probably from hocus ; ⇨ ↑ hocus-pocus ]
1 . a false warning about something dangerous:
a bomb hoax
hoax calls (=telephone calls giving false information) to the police
2 . an attempt to make people believe something that is not true:
an elaborate hoax