Definition

A hickey is a hand tool used to bend electrical conduit by applying controlled leverage. In electrical work, the same term may also describe a threaded fitting used to connect or support a lighting fixture at an outlet box.

Explanation

In residential and light-commercial electrical work, a hickey most commonly refers to a conduit-bending tool. The tool has a formed or hooked head attached to a long handle and allows an electrician to make gradual bends in rigid metal conduit. Traditional instructions describe moving the hickey along the conduit and forming the bend through several smaller movements rather than attempting the entire bend at one point.

The term has also long been used for a different electrical component: a threaded fitting used to mount or connect lighting fixtures. Construction dictionaries therefore may list both meanings—one as a conduit or pipe-bending tool and another as a fixture-mounting fitting.

Because both meanings are established in the electrical trade, context matters. A reference to “bending conduit with a hickey” describes the tool, while a hickey located at a fixture box generally refers to the threaded fitting.

Why It Matters

Older construction documents, electrical manuals, specifications, or conversations with experienced electricians may use “hickey” without further explanation. Recognizing both meanings helps avoid confusing a conduit-bending tool with a lighting-fixture fitting.

Example Usage

The rigid metal conduit appears to have been field-bent using a hand conduit bender commonly referred to as a hickey.