Etymology

hooky

H4O1O1K5Y4

Today it means: Absence from school or work; truancy. Full definition →

Dutch hoekje
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hooky · noun1

  1. Dutch · derived fromhoekje“nook, corner; 'spot to hide' in hide-and-seek”
  2. English todayhooky

First attested in 1848 in New York City. Most likely from Dutch hoekje (“nook, corner; 'spot to hide' in hide-and-seek”). Formerly, "hoekje spelen" could be used to mean "to play hide-and-seek", though the common term for the game nowadays is verstoppertje. By surface analysis, hook + -y.

hooky · adjective2

From hook + -y.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.