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hack
hack1 / hak/ • v. 1. [tr.] cut with rough or heavy blows: hack off the dead branches | [intr.] a fishmonger hacked at it with a cleaver. 2. [intr.] use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system: they hacked into a bank's computer. ∎ [tr.] gain unauthorized access to (data in a computer): hacking private information from computers. 3. (hack it) inf. manage; cope: lots of people leave because they can't hack it. • n. 1. a rough cut, blow, or stroke: he was sure one of us was going to take a hack at him. ∎ (in sports) a kick or hit inflicted on another player. ∎ a cut or gash. ∎ a tool for rough striking or cutting, e.g., a mattock or a miner's pick. 2. inf. an act of computer hacking. ∎ a piece of computer code that performs some function, esp. an unofficial alternative or addition to a commercial program: freeware and shareware hacks. PHRASES: hacking cough a short, dry, frequent cough.PHRASAL VERBS: hack around pass one's time idly or with no definite purpose. hack someone off inf. annoy or infuriate someone. hack2 • n. 1. a writer or journalist producing dull, unoriginal work: [as adj.] a hack scriptwriter. ∎ a person who does dull routine work. 2. a horse for ordinary riding. ∎ a good-quality lightweight riding horse, esp. one used in the show ring. ∎ a ride on a horse. ∎ an inferior or worn-out horse. ∎ a horse rented out for riding. 3. a taxicab. • v. [intr.] [usu. as n.] (hacking) ride a horse for pleasure or exercise. DERIVATIVES: hack·er·y / ˈhakərē/ n. (in sense 1) hack3 • n. 1. Falconry a board on which a hawk's meat is laid. 2. a wooden frame for drying bricks, cheeses, etc. ∎ a pile of bricks stacked up to dry before firing. PHRASES: at hack (of a young hawk) given partial liberty but not yet allowed to hunt for itself. |
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"hack." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hack." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hack.html "hack." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hack.html |
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hack
hack The use of a facility in a language, usually a programming language or a MARKUP LANGUAGE, for which it is not intended. A hack is normally used to overcome a weakness in the language. The term is also used to describe some use of a language which is in opposition to its philosophy. Probably the best example of a hack relevant to this dictionary is the use of the TABLE feature in HTML to provide more accurate layout control than the original features of the language would allow. The table feature was originally used to provide tabular layout of figures and text; however, the original inadequacies of HTML lead many designers to use tables for the precise positioning of graphics and chunks of text. See also SINGLE-PIXEL GIF and SHIM. The word can also be used as a verb
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DARREL INCE. "hack." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DARREL INCE. "hack." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-hack.html DARREL INCE. "hack." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-hack.html |
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hack
hack1 cut with heavy blows XII; break up (ground), etc. XVII. OE. (tō)haccian cut in pieces = MLG., MDu., (M)HG. hacken (Du. hakken); WGmc. deriv. of imit. base *χak-: cf. synon. OE. hæċċan, OHG. hecken.
So hack sb. tool for breaking or chopping up XIII; gash, cut, notch XVI. Partly — MLG. hakke mattock; partly f. the vb. |
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T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack.html T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack.html |
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hack
hack a writer or journalist producing dull, unoriginal work.
Hack is recorded in this sense from the late 17th century, and comes from the use of the word to mean ‘a horse for ordinary riding’; ultimately, it is an abbreviation of hackney. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hack." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hack." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hack.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hack." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hack.html |
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hack
hack3 from XVII in various senses of HACKNEY (esp. ‘riding-horse’ and ‘drudge’), of which it is a shortening.
Hence vb. make a hack of, etc. XVIII. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack2.html T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack2.html |
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hack
hack2 board for a hawk's meat XVI; rack XVII. var. of HATCH1.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack1.html T. F. HOAD. "hack." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hack1.html |
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Hack
Hackof smokers—Lipton, 1970. |
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"Hack." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Hack." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300793.html "Hack." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300793.html |
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hack
hack
•aback, alack, attack, back, black, brack, clack, claque, crack, Dirac, drack, flack, flak, hack, jack, Kazakh, knack, lack, lakh, mac, mach, Nagorno-Karabakh, pack, pitchblack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, shack, shellac, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, vac, wack, whack, wrack, yak, Zack
•cardiac • zodiac
•haemophiliac (US hemophiliac), necrophiliac, sacroiliac
•umiak
•bibliomaniac, dipsomaniac, egomaniac, kleptomaniac, maniac, megalomaniac, monomaniac, nymphomaniac, pyromaniac
•insomniac • celeriac • Syriac
•hypochondriac • Mauriac • theriac
•amnesiac
•aphrodisiac, Dionysiac
•Dayak, kayak
•Kerouac • bivouac
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Cite this article
"hack." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hack." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hack.html "hack." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hack.html |
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