Dictionary

hickey en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈhɪk.i/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Unknown.

Meanings

1. (slang) A bruise-like mark made during petting by pressing the mouth to the skin on one’s partner’s body and sucking.
   • When it comes to hickeys, the best I can tell you is that a lot of girls cover them with makeup or a turtleneck shirt. But let me close with a final thought. Never be ashamed of your hickeys. Show them off proudly as badges of love. 2005, William Cane, The Art of Kissing, 2nd edition, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN, page 128:
   • But Louis Vuitton bras all over your breasts / Got me wanting to put hickeys all over your chest 2003, “Stand Up”, in Chicken-n-Beer, performed by Ludacris ft. Shawnna:
2. A similar mark made by the pressure of a musical instrument such as a violin or viola against the neck.
3. (US, dialectal) A pimple.
   • No, a pimple is not a small pimp. It is what they call a hickey in the country. Look up papules. 1909, “Syphilo-dermo Urologic Maxims”, in American Journal of Dermatology and Genito-urinary Diseases, page 89:
4. (informal, slang) An object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled.
5. A printing defect caused by foreign matter on the printing surface resulting in a ring where the ink is missing, appearing as a spot of ink surrounded by a halo, or as an unprinted spot within a solid printed area.
6. (informal) A serif or other ornamentation on type.
   • Years ago, there were internal company standards for dark center (ink color) hickeys and for white voids in solids/type. 2008, American Printer, volume 125, page 63:
   • It is generally believed, by those who study such things, that serif typefaces are easier to read when reading a lot of words. The hickeys (serifs) on each letter tend to push our eye toward the next letter. 2018, Paul W. Ross, Revival: The Handbook of Software for Engineers and Scientists:
7. Local swelling in a tissue area, especially skin, often due to injury.
8. A tool for making smooth, semicircular bends in conduit and pipe.
9. (US, slang) An unintended negative outcome or loss in regards to a deal or action.
   • take a hickey
   • Farmer Jones took a hickey on his soybean crop when the flood washed the seeds away.

Forms

Deriveds

doohickey · dohickey

Synonyms

yokibus · whachamacallit · widget · joint · whatchacallit · whachacallit · bazinga · thingummabob · Sorted alphabetically · thingumajig · whatsis · thingummyjig · gimmick · whatsitsname · dinglehopper · thingummajig · gingumbob · thingum · wossname · doovalacky · thingmajig · dohickey · wotsit · MacGuffin · doohinkey · jobber · gismo · hickey · thingymabob · thingamajig · thingabob · doohickey · thingummy · conduit bender · chingadera · doodah · dingus · doo-hickey · whatdyecallem · thing · hootenanny · whosit · hodad · thingamabobber · frobnitz · frammis · doohinkus · whatsaname · whatchamacallit · rigamajig · thingamafuck · dojigger · junk · thingamajigger · bizzo · thingy · love bite · jigger · foobar · doojigger · ting · whaddayacallit · doohickus · whatnot · oojamaflip · kludge · foo · wossisname · jimbang · gewgaw · whosiewhatsit · whiff-whaff · thingie · affair · whatchamahoozie · gubbins · thingo · gadget · doober · stuff · thingamabob · Sorted by number of Google hits · thingmy · shebang · doofer · thingymajig · whatsit · geegaw · thingmabob · jobby · gizmo · dongle · jawn · gingambob · thingamajiggy · whatdoyoucallit · dealie · thingumabob · kajigger · doodad · yoke · knot · dealy

Translations (71)

es ñangazo erótico (bruise-like mark) · sv sugmärke (bruise-like mark) · es chupete (bruise-like mark) · cs pecka (printing defect caused by foreign matter on the printing surface) · cmn 吻痕 (bruise-like mark) · es mordisco amoroso (bruise-like mark) · cs cucflek (bruise-like mark) · nb tingest (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · gl chucho (bruise-like mark) · ja キスマーク (bruise-like mark) · ca xuclet (bruise-like mark) · es vaina (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · he נשיכת אהבה (bruise-like mark) · de Dingsbums (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · eo suĉmarko (bruise-like mark) · nl ding (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · ru засо́с (bruise-like mark) · is sogblettur (bruise-like mark) · ga plaicín suirí (bruise-like mark) · pl malinka (bruise-like mark) · de Dingsda (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · nb dings (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · br pok kloz (bruise-like mark) · sv grej (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · de Knutschfleck (bruise-like mark) · fr truc (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · cs bazmek (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · hu kiszívás (bruise-like mark) · fr bidule (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · fr suçon (bruise-like mark) · bg смучка (bruise-like mark) · es chupón (bruise-like mark) · nl zuigzoen (bruise-like mark) · it succhiotto (bruise-like mark) · nl zuigplek (bruise-like mark) · et maasikas (bruise-like mark) · pt carrapato (printing defect caused by foreign matter on the printing surface) · tl tsikinini (bruise-like mark) · da sugemærke (bruise-like mark) · mk сли́вка (bruise-like mark) · es chisme (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · es cacharro (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · fi juttu (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · tr aşk ısırığı (bruise-like mark) · nb dippedutt (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · de Horn (swelling in a tissue area) · de Beule (swelling in a tissue area) · es moretón (bruise-like mark) · fi huunpurema (bruise-like mark) · es coso (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · eo kismakulo (bruise-like mark) · sv mackapär (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · no sugemerke (bruise-like mark) · sv manick (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · pt chupão (bruise-like mark) · es chupetón (bruise-like mark) · nl zwelling (swelling in a tissue area) · sv mojäng (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · nl spul (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · gl chupón (bruise-like mark) · fi patti (swelling in a tissue area) · hu szívásnyom (bruise-like mark) · fi fritsu (bruise-like mark) · nl zuigvlek (bruise-like mark) · fr machin (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · fr sucette (bruise-like mark) · nb dingseboms (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · nb duppeditt (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · nl knobbel (swelling in a tissue area) · de Dings (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled) · sv grunka (referring to an object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled)