hocusing-pocusing

Verb

hocus-pocus (third-person singular simple present hocus-pocuses or hocus-pocusses or hocuses-pocuses or hocusses-pocusses, present participle hocus-pocusing or hocus-pocussing or hocusing-pocusing or hocussing-pocussing, simple past and past participle hocus-pocused or hocus-pocussed or hocused-pocused or hocussed-pocussed)

1. (ambitransitive, colloquial, dated) To play tricks or practise sleight of hand (on someone); (by extension) to cheat, to deceive.
   • [T]hat which we call Good Humour, is in Truth but a ſort of Slight of Hand in Diſcourſe, or a Faculty of making Truths look like Appearances, or Appearances like Truths. Now this Gift of Hocus Pocuſing, and of Diſguiſing Matters, is ſo Surpriſing and Agreeable on the one hand, that it muſt of...[1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Poggius.] Fab[le] CCCLV. A Woman Drown’d [Reflexion].”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, pages...

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