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hickey

- 3 dictionary results

hick⋅ey

  [hik-ee]
Use hickey in a Sentence
–noun, plural -eys.
1. Slang.
a. a pimple.
b. 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.
Also, hickie.

Origin:
1905–10; Americanism; of obscure orig.; senses under def. 1 perh. a separate word, though the development “device > defective device > defect, blemish, mark” is also possible; cf. doohickey
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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hick·ey   (hĭk'ē)   
n.   pl. hick·eys Informal
  1. A device or contrivance; a gadget.
    1. A reddish mark on the skin caused by amorous kissing, biting, or sucking.
    2. A pimple.
  3. A pipe-bending apparatus.
  4. A threaded electrical fitting used to connect a fixture to an outlet box.

[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry: hick·ey
Pronunciation: 'hik-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural hickeys
1 : PIMPLE
2 : a temporary red mark produced especially in lovemaking by biting and sucking the skin
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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