hickey

A hickey, hickie or sometimes referred to as a love bite in British English, is a bruise or bruise-like mark caused by kissing or sucking skin, usually on the neck, arm, or earlobe. While biting may be part of giving a hickey, sucking is sufficient to burst small superficial blood vessels under the skin. Etymology The origin of the word is from its earlier meaning of "pimple, skin lesion"; perhaps a sense extension and spelling variation from the earlier word meaning "small gadget, device; any unspecified object" which has an unknown origin (1909). References External links