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 or down ):

   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. Slang. 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. whenintr, usually foll by at or away 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. hack to bits
   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 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

hack

³

/ 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 calledhackney a coach or carriage that is for hire
8. informal.
   Also calledhackie
   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

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

C16: variant of hatch ²

Origin of hack³

C17: short for hackney

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at hack, Falconry. (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.
2. hack it, Slang. to handle or cope with a situation or an assignment adequately and calmly:

   The new recruit just can't hack it.

Synonym Study

See cut.

Example Sentences

That is up 11% from the same period in 2023, a rise primarily driven by an increase in reports of hacking, dating scams and online shopping and auction fraud.

From BBC

The scammers had hacked into his email account and cloned genuine invoices before swapping in their own bank details.

From BBC

In the UK in recent weeks, a series of recent cyber-attacks have been carried out on several councils - some of which have been claimed by a pro-Russian hacking group.

From BBC

Bolsonaro was banned from running for office for eight years after being accused of undermining Brazilian democracy by falsely claiming that electronic ballots used in the October 2022 poll were vulnerable to hacking and fraud.

From BBC

With imprisoned Feathers possessing alarmingly honed hacking skills, however, sinister doings will soon be afoot.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drudge