# mickey

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɪki/ · frequency rank #8,823

## Definitions
1. The smallest distance that a computer mouse can move a cursor on a screen, which is used to measure the device's resolution or sensitivity.
2. The noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala), a honeyeater endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia.
3. A young bull, especially one which is unbranded and running wild; a bullock.
4. The vulva.
5. A small bottle of liquor, such as whiskey, usually holding 375 millilitres (13.2 imperial fluid ounces; 12.7 U.S. fluid ounces), typically shaped to fit in one's pocket.
6. The penis.
7. Short for Mickey Bliss (“an act of urinating; a piss”).
8. In take the mickey: a person's (false) pride, which is criticized through disparagement or ridicule; piss.
9. Alternative letter-case form of Mickey (“an Irishman”).
10. A potato or sweet potato; specifically, one roasted over a fire outdoors.
11. Alternative letter-case form of Mickey (“a Mickey Finn: an alcoholic drink deliberately doctored with a drug intended to quickly render the drinker unconscious”).

## Etymology
Alternative letter-case form of Mickey (noun), from Mickey (“diminutive of the male given name Michael”, proper noun), from Mick (“diminutive of the male given name Michael”) + -ey (a variant of -y (diminutive suffix)).
Noun sense 1 (“smallest distance that a computer mouse can move a cursor”) refers to the cartoon character Mickey Mouse.
Noun sense 5 (“penis”), noun sense 7.1 (“Irishman”), and noun sense 7.2 (“potato; sweet potato”) refer to the fact that since the 17th century Michael and its diminutives Mick, Mickey, and Mike have been one of the most common names in Ireland, and to the prevalence of potatoes in the Irish diet; compare murphy (“potato”).
Noun sense 6.2 (“in take the mickey: (false) pride”) possibly refers to the use of Mickey Bliss as rhyming slang for piss (“act of urinating”); compare take the piss and noun sense 6.1.
The adjective is short for Mickey Mouse, which is rhyming slang for grouse (“(Australia, New Zealand, slang) excellent”).
The verb is short for mickey-finn, from Mickey Finn; compare noun sense 7.3.

## Easily confused with
- **mike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-mike)
- **Miley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-miley)
- **milky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-milky)
- **Mikey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-mikey)
- **Micky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-micky)
- **Mikel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-mikel)
- **monkey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-monkey)
- **mockery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mickey-vs-mockery)
- **mice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mice-vs-mickey)
- **mick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mick-vs-mickey)
- **McKay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mckay-vs-mickey)
- **McKee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mckee-vs-mickey)
- **Michel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/michel-vs-mickey)
- **Mackay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mackay-vs-mickey)
- **Mackey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mackey-vs-mickey)
- **Markey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/markey-vs-mickey)

## Common misspellings (9)
`imckey`, `mcikey`, `micckey`, `miceky`, `mickeyy`, `mickkey`, `mickye`, `mikcey`, `mmickey`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mickey