Hoodoo

Origin

Possibly an alteration of voodoo or from Hausa, hu'du'ba/hu3'du3'ba1 ("to arouse resentment"). In English, meaning altered to “bring bad luck”, then applied to things thought to bring bad luck, including the thin spires of rock now called hoodoos.

Full definition of hoodoo

Noun

1. African traditional folk magic.
2. (geology) A tall thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of arid basins and badlands.
3. Something or someone believed to bring bad luck.

Verb

1. To bring bad luck or misfortune, to jinx.