Definition of "hickey" in English

noun

1. (originally US, slang) A bruise-like mark made during petting by pressing the mouth to the skin on one’s partner’s body and sucking.

2. A similar mark made by the pressure of a musical instrument such as a violin or viola against the neck.

3. (informal, slang) An object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled.

4. (printing) 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.

5. (printing, informal) A serif or other ornamentation on type.

6. Local swelling in a tissue area, especially skin, often due to injury.

7. A tool for making smooth, semicircular bends in conduit and pipe.

8. (US, slang, business, finance) 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.