I. noun
also ho·kus-po·kus |hōkə|spōkəs
( -es )
Etymology: probably invented by jugglers in imitation of Latin
1.
a. obsolete : juggler , trickster
b. archaic : a juggler's trick or art : sleight of hand
2. : words or a formula used (as by jugglers) in pretended incantations without regard to the usual meaning
3. : nonsense or sham used or intended to cloak deception
the hocus-pocus of city politics
broadly : something that confuses, misleads, or is difficult to comprehend
the tape recordings, through some electronic hocus-pocus, will retain all the visual quality of the original telecast — Newsweek
II. verb
( hocus-pocussed or hocus-pocused ; hocus-pocussed or hocus-pocused ; hocus-pocussing or hocus-pocusing ; hocus-pocusses or hocus-pocuses )
intransitive verb
: to play the part of a conjurer ; broadly : trick , cheat
transitive verb
: to play tricks on : trick , befool
got through hocus-pocussing the jury — Shelby Foote