Word Study
hooky
CIDE DICTIONARY
hooky, a.
Full of hooks; pertaining to hooks. [1913 Webster]
A word used only in the expression to play hooky, to be truant, to run away; -- used mostly of youths absent from school without a valid reason and without the knowledge of their parents. Also (figuratively and jocosely), to be absent from duty for frivolous reasons. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
"This talk about boys . . . playing ball, and “hooky,” and marbles, was all moonshine." [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
THESAURUS
hooky
AWOL, French leave, abscondence, absence, absence without leave, absentation, absenteeism, absenting, cut, day off, default, departure, disappearance, escape, excused absence, fleeing, furlough, holiday, leave, leave of absence, leaving, nonappearance, nonattendance, running away, sabbatical leave, sick leave, truancy, truantism, unexcused absence, vacationFor further exploring for "hooky" in Webster Dictionary Online