ho•cus-po•cus
Pronunciation: (hō'kus-pō'kus), [key]
— n., v., -cused, -cus•ing -cussed, -cus•sing.
—n.
- a meaningless chant or expression used in conjuring or incantation.
- a juggler's trick; sleight of hand.
- trickery; deception.
- unnecessarily mysterious or elaborate activity or talk to cover up a deception, magnify a simple purpose, etc.
—v.t.
- to play tricks on or with.
—v.i.
- to perform tricks; practice trickery or deception.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.