hooky

UK: /ˈhʊki/ US: /ˈhʊki/ ,(hŏŏk′ē)

Inflections of 'hooky' (adj):

hookier

adj comparative

hookiest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hook•y¹ or hook•ey /ˈhʊki/   n. [uncountable] Idioms

1. play hooky or hookey, [no obj] to be absent from school or work without permission.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hook•y¹  (hŏŏk′ē), n. 

1. unjustifiable absence from school, work, etc. (usually used in the phrase play hooky):
   On the first warm spring day the boys played hooky to go fishing.

Also, hookey. 

• perh. alteration of phrase hook it escape, make off 1840–50, American.

hook•y²  (hŏŏk′ē), adj., hook•i•er, hook•i•est. 

1. full of hooks.
2. hook-shaped.

• hook¹ + -y¹ 1545–55

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hooky, hookey / ˈhʊkɪ/ noun

1. truancy, usually from school (esp in the phrase play hooky)

Etymology: 20th Century: perhaps from hook it to escape