hack

¹

[hak]

verb (used with object)

1. to cut, notch, slice, chop, or sever (something) with or as with heavy, irregular blows (often followed by up ordown ).

   to hack meat; to hack down trees.

   Synonyms: haggle, mangle

2. to break up the surface of (the ground).

3. to clear (a road, path, etc.) by cutting away vines, trees, brush, or the like.

   They hacked a trail through the jungle.

4. to damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; mutilate; mangle.

   The editor hacked the story to bits.

5. to reduce or cut ruthlessly; trim.

   The Senate hacked the budget severely before returning it to the House.

6. Slang.,  to deal or cope with; handle.

   He can't hack all this commuting.

7. Computers.

   1. to modify (a computer program or electronic device) or write (a program) in a skillful or clever way.

      Developers have hacked the app.

      I hacked my tablet to do some very cool things.

   2. to circumvent security and break into (a network, computer, file, etc.), often with malicious intent.

      Criminals hacked the bank's servers yesterday.

      Our cybersecurity team systematically hacks our network to find vulnerabilities.

8. Informal.,  to make use of a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing (something).

   to hack a classic recipe;

   to hack your weekend with healthy habits.

9. Basketball.,  to strike the arm of (an opposing ball handler).

   He got a penalty for hacking the shooter.

10. British.,  to kick or kick at the shins of (an opposing player) in Rugby football.

11. South Midland and Southern U.S.,  to embarrass, annoy, or disconcert.

verb (used without object)

1. to make rough cuts or notches; deal cutting blows.

2. to cough harshly, usually in short and repeated spasms.

3. Computers.

   1. to modify a computer program or electronic device in a skillful or clever way: It's pretty easy to hack with scripts.

      to hack around with HTML;

      It's pretty easy to hack with scripts.

   2. to break into a network, computer, file, etc., often with malicious intent.

      Students tried to hack into their school server to change their grades.

4. Tennis.

   1. to take a poor, ineffective, or awkward swing at the ball.

   2. to play tennis at a mediocre level.

5. British.,  to kick or kick at an opponent's shins in Rugby football.

noun

1. a cut, gash, or notch.

2. a tool, as an ax, hoe, or pick, for hacking.

3. an act or instance of hacking; a cutting blow.

4. a short, rasping dry cough.

5. a hesitation in speech.

6. Computers.

   1. a piece of code that modifies a computer program in a skillful or clever way.

      software hacks.

   2. an act or instance of breaking into a network, computer, file, etc., often with malicious intent (often used attributively).

      a hack on our system;

      a recent hack attack.

7. Informal.,  a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing something.

   hacks for holiday entertaining;

   parenting hacks.

8. Curling.,  an indentation made in the ice at the foot score, for supporting the foot in delivering the stone.

9. British.,  a gash in the skin produced by a kick, as in Rugby football.

verb phrase

1. hack around,  to pass the time idly; indulge in idle talk.

hack

²

[hak]

noun

1. a person, such as an artist or writer, who exploits their creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work for money in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts.

   As a painter, he was little more than a hack.

2. a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment.

   The senator was widely considered a mere political hack.

3. a writer who works on the staff of a publisher at a dull or routine task; someone who works as a literary drudge.

   He was one among the many hacks on Grub Street.

   Synonyms: scribbler

4. British.

   1. a horse kept for common hire or adapted for general work, especially ordinary riding.

   2. a saddle horse used for transportation, rather than for show, hunting, or the like.

5. an old or worn-out horse; jade.

6. a coach or carriage kept for hire; hackney.

7. Informal.

   1. a taxi.

   2. Also a cabdriver.

8. Slang.,  a prison guard.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a hack of; let out for hire.

   Synonyms: rent, lease

2. to make trite or stale by frequent use; hackney.

verb (used without object)

1. Informal.,  to drive a taxi.

2. to ride or drive on the road at an ordinary pace, as distinguished from cross-country riding or racing.

3. British.,  to rent a horse, especially by the hour.

adjective

1. hired as a hack; of a hired sort.

   a hack writer; hack work.

2. hackneyed; trite; banal.

   hack writing.

hack

³

[hak]

noun

1. a rack for drying food, as fish.

2. a rack for holding fodder for livestock.

3. a low pile of unburnt bricks in the course of drying.

verb (used with object)

1. to place (something) on a hack, as for drying or feeding.

2. Falconry.,  to train (a young hawk) by letting it fly freely and feeding it at a hack board or a hack house.

hack

¹

/ hæk /

verb

1. to cut or chop (at) irregularly, roughly, or violently

2. to cut and clear (a way, path, etc), as through undergrowth

3. (in sport, esp rugby) to foul (an opposing player) by kicking or striking his shins

4. basketball to commit the foul of striking (an opposing player) on the arm

5. (intr) to cough in short dry spasmodic bursts

6. (tr) to reduce or cut (a story, article, etc) in a damaging way

7. to manipulate a computer program skilfully, esp, to gain unauthorized access to another computer system

8. slang,  (tr) to tolerate; cope with

   I joined the army but I couldn't hack it

9. to damage severely

   his reputation was hacked to bits

noun

1. a cut, chop, notch, or gash, esp as made by a knife or axe

2. any tool used for shallow digging, such as a mattock or pick

3. a chopping blow

4. a dry spasmodic cough

5. a kick on the shins, as in rugby

6. a wound from a sharp kick

hack

²

/ hæk /

noun

1. a horse kept for riding or (more rarely) for driving

2. an old, ill-bred, or overworked horse

3. a horse kept for hire

4. a country ride on horseback

5. a drudge

6. a person who produces mediocre literary or journalistic work

7. Also called: hackney. a coach or carriage that is for hire

8. Also called: hackie. informal

   1. a cab driver

   2. a taxi

verb

1. to ride (a horse) cross-country for pleasure

2. (tr) to let (a horse) out for hire

3. informal,  (tr) to write (an article) as or in the manner of a hack

4. informal,  (intr) to drive a taxi

adjective

1. (prenominal) banal, mediocre, or unoriginal

   hack writing

hack

³

/ hæk /

noun

1. a rack used for fodder for livestock

2. a board on which meat is placed for a hawk

3. a pile or row of unfired bricks stacked to dry

verb

1. to place (fodder) in a hack

2. to place (bricks) in a hack

Word History and Origins

Origin of hack¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English hacken; compare Old English ahaccian “to hack out,” tōhaccian “to hack to pieces”; cognate with Dutch hakken, German hacken

Origin of hack²

First recorded in 1680–90; short for hackney

Origin of hack³

First recorded in 1565–75; variant of hatch ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of hack¹

Old English haccian; related to Old Frisian hackia, Middle High German hacken

Origin of hack²

C17: short for _hackney

Origin of hack³

C16: variant of _hatch ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hack it, to handle or cope with a situation or an assignment adequately and calmly.

   The new recruit just can't hack it.

2. at hack, (of a young hawk) being trained to fly freely but to return to a hack house or hack board for food rather than to pursue quarry.

Synonym Study

See cut.

Example Sentences

JLR says it is investigating the hack, but there is no evidence at this stage any customer data has been stolen.

From BBC

Hack, hack, cough, I say from inside the beast.

From Los Angeles Times

In July the National Crime Agency arrested 4 people in connection to the hacks.

From BBC

The firm, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, says it took immediate action to lessen the effect of the hack and is working quickly to restart operations.

From BBC

It promises to hack biology without the drudgery of counting calories or cutting carbs: simply change when you eat, not necessarily what you eat.

From BBC

Related Words

• drudge