Past tense of hoist; lifted or pulled up using ropes, pulleys, or mechanical devices.
From Middle Dutch 'hijsen' or Low German 'hissen,' meaning to lift up. The nautical term entered English in the 15th century, originally used for raising sails and flags on ships.
The phrase 'hoist by one's own petard' comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet, where a petard was a small bomb - literally being blown up by your own explosive! The irony of being harmed by your own scheme perfectly captures the word's dramatic potential.
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