hickey
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhɪki// UK //hˈɪki// hick·ey
n. a red or purple mark on the skin caused by someone kissing or sucking it. It is usually found on the neck and stays for a few days.
n. a temporary red or purple mark on the skin, typically the neck, caused by suction during kissing. Often associated with adolescent or informal contexts.
He wore a scarf to hide a hickey on his neck.
She felt embarrassed when her colleagues noticed the hickey she had tried to cover with makeup.
While harmless from a medical perspective, a hickey often carries a social stigma of indiscretion, leading many to use high collars or cosmetics to conceal the bruising.
From Irish Ó hÍcidhe (“descendant of a healer”), from ící (“healer”).
Usage
Informal in register; common in North American and Australian English.