noun
hoodoo
HOO-doo
noun
1
A folk-magic tradition developed by enslaved and later free African Americans, blending African spiritual practices with other influences.
"Her grandmother taught her old hoodoo remedies passed down through the family."
2
Bad luck, or a person or thing believed to cause it.
"The old sailors said the ship was a hoodoo."
3
A tall, thin column of rock left standing by erosion, common in dry badlands.
"The park is famous for its towering red hoodoos."
verb
1
To bring bad luck to someone; to jinx.
"He joked that the broken mirror had hoodooed the whole trip."
How to Use Hoodoo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDepending on context: a folk-magic tradition, bad luck/a jinx, or a rock spire shaped by erosion.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
hoodooed past tense, hoodoos plural, hoodoos singular
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Etymology
Believed to be an altered form of "voodoo."