Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hocus” come from?

hocus (English) comes from English hocus-pocus — abracadabra, hey presto; Some ineffectual action...

hocus (English): To play a trick on, to trick ; to hoax; to cheat;...

Definitions

  1. To play a trick on, to trick ; to hoax; to cheat;...

Ancestry of “hocus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhocus-pocusabracadabra, hey presto; Some ineffectual action...

Words derived from “hocus”

  • hoax
  • hoaxer
  • hoaxster
  • hoaxter
  • hoaxlike
  • hoaxical
  • hoaxee
Every word from English hocus-pocus →