a practical joke

a practical joke

A mischievous trick typically involving some physical action or object intended to make someone look or feel foolish. We hid a rubber snake in the fridge as a practical joke so that it would scare Mom or Dad when they went in for something to eat.See also: joke, practical

(play) a ˌpractical ˈjoke (on somebody)

play a trick on somebody which involves physical action, using an object, etc: They put a frog in his bed as a practical joke. ▶ a ˌpractical ˈjoker noun a person who plays practical jokesSee also: joke, practical