hoodoo

1 of 2

noun

hoo·​doo ˈhü-(ˌ)dü How to pronounce hoodoo (audio)
plural hoodoos
1
: a body of practices of sympathetic magic traditional especially among African Americans in the southern U.S.
2
: a natural column of rock in western North America often in fantastic form
3
: something that brings bad luck
4
hoodooism noun

hoodoo

2 of 2

verb

hoodooed; hoodooing; hoodoos

transitive verb

: to cast a spell on
broadly : to bring bad luck to

Examples of hoodoo in a Sentence

Noun some economists have characterized the proposal as economic hoodoo that should be hooted down some hoodoo must be at work—I lost both sets of house keys
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
South Africa overcame their Australia hoodoo, having beaten them just for the second time from 11 T20I matches. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 Rocky Mountaineer Rocky Mountaineer offers luxury train journeys through some of North America’s most spectacular scenery, from the mountain passes and plunging canyons of Canada to the far-reaching deserts and hoodoos of the US. Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
Take two days to experience the best of the Paunsaugunt Plateau’s hoodoo rock spires. Jonathan Olivier, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2022 It’s made with Agave de Cortes, King State espresso, hoodoo, and cinnamon. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022 See all Example Sentences for hoodoo 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoodoo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps alteration of voodoo

First Known Use

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoodoo was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near hoodoo

Cite this Entry

“Hoodoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoodoo. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoodoo

noun
hoo·​doo
ˈhüd-ü
plural hoodoos
1
2
: something that brings bad luck
hoodoo verb
hoodooism
-ˌiz-əm
noun
Etymology

Noun

perhaps an altered form of voodoo

More from Merriam-Webster on hoodoo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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