love bite
/ˈlʌv ˌbaɪt/
noun
Origin
English
love + bite — An affectionate bite.
Overview
Meaning Now
- A temporary bruise or red mark on the skin caused by sucking or biting during sexual activity, typically on the neck.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
love bite
Earliest period
20th century
Journey
The term is a euphemistic British colloquialism for what is more commonly known in American English as a 'hickey'. It originated as a descriptive phrase for a mark left by an act of intimacy.
Evolution
- Old English
lufu + bitan
“affection + to strike with teeth”
Compound elements existed independently.
- Mid-20th century
love bite
“hickey”
Emergence of the specific colloquial term in British English.
Connections
Word parts
love
root
deep affection
bite
root
act of biting
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Related to love bite
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.