hickey

1 of 2

noun (1)

hick·​ey ˈhi-kē How to pronounce hickey (audio)
plural hickeys
: gadget

hickey

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural hickeys
1
a
: pimple
b
: a temporary red mark or bruise on the skin (such as one produced by biting and sucking)
2
plural also hickies : a small imperfection in printing

Examples of hickey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
How to hide a hickey with makeup Outside of wearing scarves and turtlenecks 24-7, the easiest way to remove a hickey is by covering it up with makeup. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 3 Feb. 2023 Amador said an expert looked at the physical evidence but could not determine if her apparent bruises were hickeys instead. Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 11 May 2023 The woman initially characterized them as hickeys, according to previous statements by her and others. Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 11 May 2023 Afterwards, they’re invited for a night in the Hideaway and Tyler emerges the next morning with a hickey on his neck. Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2021 What the hell is a hickey, anyway? Lindsey Lanquist, SELF, 24 Dec. 2020 One such memo argued that the man who ultimately received the largest settlement should have filed his claim within a year of the moment — decades earlier — that his mother spotted a hickey on his neck left by Brignac. David A. Hammer, NOLA.com, 18 Dec. 2020 Thus, when Jannakos sings while cooking at the stove, or Ottolini trashes her ex, or Hamilton and his girlfriend cut up onscreen with a telltale hickey on his neck, those casual interactions cement their relationship with their followers. Tom Roland, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2020 As Pete walked Kim to his Lamborghini SUV, the paparazzi snapped pics of what appears to be a hickey on the left side of Pete's neck. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 6 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hickey.' 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 (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1913, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hickey was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near hickey

Cite this Entry

“Hickey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hickey. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Medical Definition

hickey

noun
hick·​ey ˈhik-ē How to pronounce hickey (audio)
plural hickeys
1
: pimple
2
: a temporary red mark produced especially in lovemaking by biting and sucking the skin
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