hickey

American  

[hik-ee] / ˈhɪk i /

Or hickie

noun

1. Slang.

   1. a pimple.

   2. a reddish mark left on the skin by a passionate kiss.

2. any device or gadget whose name is not known or is momentarily forgotten.

3. Electricity. a fitting used to mount a lighting fixture in an outlet box or on a pipe or stud.

4. a tool used to bend tubes and pipes.

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hickey British  

/ ˈhɪkɪ /

noun

1. informal an object or gadget: used as a name when the correct name is forgotten, etc; doodah

2. informal a mark on the skin, esp a lovebite

3. printing a spot on a printed sheet caused by an imperfection or a speck on the printing plate

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Etymology

Origin of hickey

An dating from 1905–10 of obscure origin; senses under hickey def. 1 perhaps a separate word, though the development “device,” from “defective device,” from “defect, blemish, mark” is also possible; cf. doohickey

Example Sentences

Bespoke Investment Group co-founder Paul Hickey pointed out yesterday that 15-day winning streaks for the SOX, for example, were way more common between 1998 and the dot-com bubble’s burst.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“It’s certainly been an unusual rebound,” said Paul Hickey, co-founder of Bespoke in an interview with MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Clarke knows exactly what those two offer, and with first-choice Aaron Hickey still out injured, could there be a start for versatile Bristol City defender Ross McCrorie?

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Analyst Mike Hickey says in a note that the results followed a familiar pattern where management provided conservative one-quarter guidance that is subsequently exceeded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

“One of the conspirators flapped his mouth and the story poured out. Hickey, his name is, a tall Irishman who served in General Washington’s Life Guards.”

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• blot
• blotch
• bruise
• discoloration
• freckle
• imperfection
• pimple
• scar
• smudge
• snag
• stain
• stigma
• wart