Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: hax pax max Deus adimax, a pretended Latin phrase used by people doing magic tricks

hocus-pocus

 noun
     
ho‧cus-po‧cus [uncountable]
a method or belief that you think is based on false ideas:
He thinks psychology is a load of hocus-pocus.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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