hooky

¹ American  

[hook-ee] / ˈhʊk i /

Or hookey

noun

1. unjustifiable absence from school, work, etc. (usually used in the phraseplay hooky ).

   On the first warm spring day the boys played hooky to go fishing.

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hooky ² American  

[hook-ee] / ˈhʊk i /

adjective

hookier, hookiest

1. full of hooks.

2. hook-shaped.

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hooky British  

/ ˈhʊkɪ /

noun

1. informal truancy, usually from school (esp in the phrase play hooky )

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hooky Idioms  

1. see play hooky.

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Etymology

Origin of hooky¹

1840–50, perhaps alteration of phrase hook it escape, make off

Origin of hooky²

First recorded in 1545–55; hook ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

"Back in the early nineties, we brewed three beers, a mild, a bitter and Old Hooky," he said.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Hooky has charisma, Barney has charisma, the whole band has a joint charisma, but Ian’s charisma was unnerving and unsettling because of the physical things that he did on stage.

From The Guardian • Mar. 24, 2019

For some reason I’ve never fathomed, it felt as if Hooky saw some kind of imagined competition going on inside the band.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2015

But as Rob said: "You can't buy history, Hooky."

From The Guardian • Jul. 2, 2012

Hooky Crewe was driver; so-called because an iron hook was his substitute for a right arm: Robbie Proctor, the blacksmith, made the hook and fixed it in.

From Auld Licht Idylls by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)