[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

hocus-pocus \ho"cus-po"cus\, n. prob. invented by jugglers in
   imitation of latin. cf. hoax, hocus.
   1. a term used by magicians or conjurers in pretended
      incantations.
      1913 webster

   2. a juggler or trickster. archaic --sir t. herbert.
      1913 webster

   3. a magician's trick; a cheat; nonsense. --hudibras.
      1913 webster

   4. obfuscating talk or elaborate but meaningless activity
      intended to hide a deception or to obscure what is
      actually happening; verbal misrepresentation intended to
      take advantage of you in some way.

   syn: trickery, slickness, hanky panky, jiggery-pokery,
        skulduggery, skullduggery.
        wordnet 1.5 +pjc
see also:
hoax hocus 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

hocus-pocus \ho"cus-po"cus\, v. t.
   to cheat. colloq. --l'estrange.
   1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

hocus-pocus
     n : verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you
         in some way syn: trickery, slickness, hanky panky,
          jiggery-pokery, skulduggery, skullduggery
     also: hocus-pocussing, hocus-pocussed
see also:
trickery slickness hanky panky jiggery-pokery skulduggery skullduggery 
hocus-pocussing hocus-pocussed 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

28 moby thesaurus words for "hocus-pocus":
   abracadabra, artifice, cheat, chicanery, con game, conjuring,
   deceit, deception, duplicity, flimflam, gibberish, hanky-panky,
   hoax, humbug, incantation, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain,
   magic, mischief, mumbo-jumbo, nonsense, prestidigitation,
   rigmarole, sleight of hand, swindle, trick, trickery

Hocus-Pocus >> H Words
Hocus-Pocus, definition of term: Hocus-Pocus
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