verb
hocus
HOH-kuhs
verb
1
To trick or deceive someone.
"The con artist hocused the shopkeeper out of his change."
2
To secretly drug a drink, usually to rob or take advantage of someone.
"The victim's drink had been hocused before he was robbed."
How to Use Hocus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo cheat, con, or secretly drug someone.
When to use it
Old-fashioned and rarely used today outside of historical or literary contexts.
Word Forms
hocused past tense, hocussed past tense, hocuses plural, hocuses singular, hocusses singular
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Etymology
A shortened form of "hocus-pocus", the traditional magician's phrase used before a trick.