hanky

American  

[hang-kee] / ˈhæŋ ki /

Or hankie

noun

• hankies
  plural

1. a handkerchief.

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hanky British  

/ ˈhæŋkɪ /

noun

1. informal short for handkerchief

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hankies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hanky

First recorded in 1890–95; han(d)k(erchief) + -y ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hanky hankies

To say he makes the most of the material isn’t quite doing it justice – Gilgun manages to make a ballgown out of a snotty hanky, and seems to have enormous fun doing it.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 22, 2020

I noticed that her hanky was crumpled and not very clean.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 7, 2019

But who wants to see a swashbuckler coughing up blood into a stolen gentlemen’s hanky?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2018

Big Laramie Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Parrish handed me a blue hanky with a gesture toward my face.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 14, 2017

“Come on. Just fold those fingers up; fingers on the inside, thumbs on the outside. Say something. Honk me back. You’re so tall, and you let me pick on you. “Would you like a hanky?

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

Mpofu’s tender and regretful “Addio, del passato” was heart-wrenching enough to make operagoers reach for their hankies.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2023

So, come for the boxing, yes — but bring plenty of hankies, too.

From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2023

Knots of people stand in shop doorways, a few clutch shopping bags, others have hankies wrapped tightly into their hands.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2021

I spent several clammy seconds refolding the letter and reassembling the remaining contents exactly as they had been — death note at the bottom, hankies, silver dollars and baseball on top.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2021

The others have red hankies tied around their necks.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver