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.
to break up the surface of (the ground).
to clear (a road, path, etc.) by cutting away vines, trees, brush, or the like: They hacked a trail through the jungle.
to damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; mutilate; mangle: The editor hacked the story to bits.
to reduce or cut ruthlessly; trim: The Senate hacked the budget severely before returning it to the House.
Slang. to deal or cope with; handle: He can't hack all this commuting.
Computers.
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.
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.
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.
Basketball. to strike the arm of (an opposing ball handler): He got a penalty for hacking the shooter.
British. to kick or kick at the shins of (an opposing player) in Rugby football.
South Midland and Southern U.S.to embarrass, annoy, or disconcert.
verb (used without object)
to make rough cuts or notches; deal cutting blows.
to cough harshly, usually in short and repeated spasms.
Computers.
to modify a computer program or electronic device in a skillful or clever way: to hack around with HTML;It's pretty easy to hack with scripts.
to break into a network, computer, file, etc., often with malicious intent: Students tried to hack into their school server to change their grades.
Tennis.
to take a poor, ineffective, or awkward swing at the ball.
to play tennis at a mediocre level.
British. to kick or kick at an opponent's shins in Rugby football.
noun
a cut, gash, or notch.
a tool, as an ax, hoe, or pick, for hacking.
an act or instance of hacking; a cutting blow.
a short, rasping dry cough.
a hesitation in speech.
Computers.
a piece of code that modifies a computer program in a skillful or clever way: software hacks.
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.
Informal. a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing something: hacks for holiday entertaining;parenting hacks.
Curling. an indentation made in the ice at the foot score, for supporting the foot in delivering the stone.
British. a gash in the skin produced by a kick, as in Rugby football.
Verb Phrases
hack around,Slang. to pass the time idly; indulge in idle talk.
Idioms for hack
hack it, Slang. to handle or cope with a situation or an assignment adequately and calmly: The new recruit just can't hack it.
Origin of hack
1
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
a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts: As a painter, he was little more than a hack.
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: a political hack.
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.
British.
a horse kept for common hire or adapted for general work, especially ordinary riding.
a saddle horse used for transportation, rather than for show, hunting, or the like.
an old or worn-out horse; jade.
a coach or carriage kept for hire; hackney.
Informal.
a taxi.
Also hackie .a cabdriver.
Slang. a prison guard.
verb (used with object)
to make a hack of; let out for hire.
to make trite or stale by frequent use; hackney.
verb (used without object)
Informal. to drive a taxi.
to ride or drive on the road at an ordinary pace, as distinguished from cross-country riding or racing.
British. to rent a horse, especially by the hour.
adjective
hired as a hack; of a hired sort: a hack writer; hack work.
hackneyed; trite; banal: hack writing.
Origin of hack
2
First recorded in 1680–90; short for hackney
SYNONYMS FOR hack
3 scribbler.
9 lease, rent.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hack ON THESAURUS.COM
Definition for hack (3 of 3)
hack3
[ hak ]
/ hæk /
noun
a rack for drying food, as fish.
a rack for holding fodder for livestock.
a low pile of unburnt bricks in the course of drying.
verb (used with object)
to place (something) on a hack, as for drying or feeding.
Falconry. to train (a young hawk) by letting it fly freely and feeding it at a hack board or a hack house.
One of my favorite in-a-pinch hacks is to lock my bike to the metal of a few grocery carts, especially if there’s no good bike rack or post around.
The most secure ways to lock up your bike|By Michael Frank/Cycle Volta|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
Whether it’s been TikTok cheering on DogeCoin or a twenty-something hacking into high-profile Twitter accounts and asking for Bitcoin, 2020 might just be the year everyone from teens to nonagenarians learns about cryptocurrencies and digital money.
Why 2020 might be the year cryptocurrency goes mainstream|jakemeth|August 24, 2020|Fortune
Targets in Morocco have reportedly experienced “network injection” hacks that raise no alarm, require no cooperation from the victim, and leave little trace.
The man who built a spyware empire says it’s time to come out of the shadows|Bobbie Johnson|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
A hack or leak could open citizens up to identity theft, fraud, or worse.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
NSO declined to comment on the alleged WhatsApp hack, since it is still an active case.