hacker

[ hak-er ]
See synonyms for hacker on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person or thing that hacks.

  2. Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill: weekend hackers on the golf course.

  1. Computers.

    • a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast: My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.

    • a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent: A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!The company has hired hackers to test system security.: Compare black hat (def. 2), gray hat, white hat (def. 2).

Origin of hacker

1
First recorded in 1200–50 for def. 1; Middle English (as surname); see hack1, -er1;1965–70 for def. 2

Words Nearby hacker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hacker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hacker

hacker

/ (ˈhækə) /


noun
  1. a person that hacks

  2. slang a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012