practical joke

/ˌpræktəkəl dʒoʊk/

/ˈpræktɪkəl dʒəʊk/

Other forms: practical jokes

Like making enemies? Play a practical joke! Popular on April Fools’ Day, a practical joke is a physical trick, like sneaking a “kick me” sign on someone’s back or giving them a hunk of dirt and calling it chocolate.

Practical jokes usually involve some physical action, and unlike scams or hoaxes, they're intended to be revealed as pranks — even the victim is supposed to eventually realize that a practical joke's been played on them. Ideally, practical jokes are lighthearted and silly, rather than cruel or humiliating. April Fools’ Day, the first of April, is traditionally a day of many practical jokes, from plastic wrap on the toilet seat to quarters superglued to the sidewalk.

Definitions of practical joke

1. noun

   a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish)
   types:

   April fool

   a practical joke or trick played on the first day of April

   hotfoot

   a practical joke that involves inserting a match surreptitiously between the sole and upper of the victim's shoe and then lighting it

   rag

   a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)

   snipe hunt

   an elaborate practical joke in which the unsuspecting victim hunts a snipe and is typically left in the dark holding a bag and waiting for the snipe to run into it

   type of:

   antic, caper, joke, prank, put-on, trick

   a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement