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hoax

 - 3 dictionary results

hoax

  [hohks]
–noun
1. something intended to deceive or defraud: The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.
–verb (used with object)
2. to deceive by a hoax; hoodwink.
Use hoax in a Sentence
Origin:
1790–1800; perh. contr. of hocus

Related forms:
hoaxer, noun

Synonyms:
1. deception, fraud, fake, imposture, humbug.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To hoax
hoax   (hōks)   
n.  

  1. An act intended to deceive or trick.

  2. Something that has been established or accepted by fraudulent means.

tr.v.   hoaxed, hoax·ing, hoax·es
To deceive or cheat by using a hoax.

[Perhaps alteration of hocus.]
hoax'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

hoax 
1796 (v.), 1808 (n.), probably alt. of hocus "conjurer, juggler" (1640), or directly from hocus-pocus.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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