Hickey

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhɪk.i/

Definitions

1. A visible mark made on the skin through suction that occurs during affectionate acts A skin discoloration that symbolizes intimacy and close relationships An impermanent bruise on the body often resulting from passionate kissing or similar actions
2. A temporary reddish or purplish mark on the skin formed by sucking or biting during intimate contact
3. An area of skin discolored by broken blood vessels due to strong suction, often seen after close physical affection

Etymology: A "hickey" started as American slang for a gadget or thing whose name you could not recall, a sense that used the word for almost any object. The love-bite meaning is a later colloquial extension, and it stuck because a suction mark is a small, nameless thing that people wanted a casual word for. The skin-mark sense needs no technical name, just a label that teenagers and adults could use without embarrassment. Its everyday, slightly playful tone has kept it in use in American English.

Synonyms: mark, bruise, kiss mark