English Explanatory Dictionary

hack

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To chop or cut down in a rough manner.
  2. To withstand or put up with a difficult situation.
  3. To make a quick code change to patch a computer program, often one that, while being effective, is inelegant or makes the program harder to maintain.
  4. To accomplish a difficult programming task.
  5. To work with something on an intimately technical level.
  6. To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novel method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.
  7. To hack into; to gain unauthorized access to (a computer system, e.g., a website, or network) by manipulating code.
  8. To gain unauthorized access to a computer or online account belonging to (a person or organisation).
  9. To cheat by using unauthorized modifications.
  10. To strike an opponent with one's hockey stick, typically on the leg but occasionally and more seriously on the back, arm, head, etc.
  11. To make a flailing attempt to hit the puck with a hockey stick.
  12. To swing at a pitched ball.
noun
  1. A tool for chopping.
  2. A hacking blow.
  3. A gouge or notch made by such a blow.
  4. A try, an attempt.
  5. The foothold traditionally cut into the ice from which the person who throws the rock pushes off for delivery.
  6. A mattock or a miner's pickaxe.
  7. An improvised device or solution to a problem.
  8. An expedient, temporary solution, such as a small patch or change to code, meant to be replaced with a more elegant solution at a later date; a workaround.
  9. A computer programmer who makes quick but inelegant changes to computer code to solve problems or add features.
  10. A computer programmer, particularly a veteran or someone not immediately expected to be capable of programming.
  11. An interesting technical achievement, particularly in computer programming.
  12. A trick, shortcut, skill, or novel method to increase productivity, efficiency, or ease.
noun
  1. A board upon which the falcon's food is placed; used by extension for the state of partial freedom in which they are kept before being trained.
  2. A food-rack for cattle.
  3. A rack used to dry something, such as bricks, fish, or cheese.
  4. A grating in a mill race.
verb
  1. To lay (bricks) on a rack to dry.
  2. To keep (young hawks) in a state of partial freedom, before they are trained.
noun
  1. A horse for hire, especially one which is old and tired.
  2. A person, often a journalist, hired to do routine work.
  3. Someone who is available for hire; hireling, mercenary.
  4. The driver of a taxicab (hackney cab).
  5. A vehicle let for hire; originally, a hackney cab, now typically a taxicab.
  6. A hearse.
  7. An untalented writer.
  8. One who is professionally successful despite producing mediocre work. (Usually applied to persons in a creative field.)
  9. A talented writer-for-hire, paid to put others' thoughts into felicitous language.
  10. A political agitator.
  11. A person who frequently canvasses for votes, either directly or by appearing to continuously act with the ulterior motive of furthering their political career.
  12. A writer who hires himself out for any sort of literary work; an overworked man; a drudge.
verb
  1. To make common or cliched; to vulgarise.
  2. To ride a horse at a regular pace; to ride on a road (as opposed to riding cross-country etc.).
  3. To live the life of a drudge or hack.
  4. To use as a hack; to let out for hire.
  5. To use frequently and indiscriminately, so as to render trite and commonplace.
  6. To drive a hackney cab.
verb
  1. To cough noisily.
noun
  1. A dry cough.
  2. A hacking; a catch in speaking; a short, broken cough.
intj
  1. An onomatopoeia for coughing.
noun
  1. A small ball usually made of woven cotton or suede and filled with rice, sand or some other filler, for use in hackeysack.
verb
  1. To play hackeysack.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/hæk/ En-au-hack.ogg

Word forms

hack hacks hacking hacked

Etymology

From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian häkje (“to hack”), West Frisian hakje (“to hack”), Dutch hakken (“to chop up; hack”), German hacken (“to chop; hack; hoe”), Danish hakke (“to chop”), Swedish hacka (“to hack; chop”), French hacher (“to chop”). Related to hatch. The computer senses date back to at least 1955 when it initially referred to creative problem solving. By 1963, the negative connotations of “black hat” or malicious hacking had become associated with telephone hacking (cf. phreaking).

Synonyms

frob tweak kludge bodge crack band-aid contrivance improvision improvisation makeshift quick fix patch lifehack exploit nag

Derived words

apahack hackable hackability hack about hackaround hack around hackathon hack away hackbot hackday hack down hackee hacker hackery hackfest hackfolk Hackgate hack in hacking hackingly hacky hack into hack it hack off hacksaw hack up hackusation hackuser haggle outhack p-hack unhacked wallhack domain hack hack-and-slash hack and slasher hack-and-slasher hack-and-slay hackbarrow Hackintosh hack-iron hackish hack job hacklab hackproof hack saw hackspace hack squat hackster hacktivism hacktivist hackworm life hack lifehack maphack menu hack under hack megahack hackle nuthack

Translations

Arabic: اِخْتَرَقَ Arabic: هكر Arabic: اخترق Arabic: هَكَّر Bulgarian: ха́квам Chinese Mandarin: 黑 Chinese Mandarin: 黑入 Chinese Mandarin: 破解 Finnish: hakkeroida Georgian: გატეხვა Georgian: შეჭრა German: hacken Greek: χακάρω Indonesian: meretas Italian: accedere illegalmente Italian: introdursi illegamente Italian: penetrare abusivamente Macedonian: хакува Macedonian: хаки́ра Malay: menggodam Māori: mūrere Persian: هک کردن Persian: نفوذ کردن Polish: hakować Polish: zhakować Polish: włamywać się Polish: włamać się Portuguese: hackear Portuguese: invadir Romanian: sparge Russian: взлома́ть Spanish: hackear Spanish: jaquear Swedish: hacka
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