hack

/hรฆk/

IPA: /HH AE1 K/

noun
  1. 1

    A tool for chopping.

  2. 2

    A hacking blow.

  3. 3

    A gouge or notch made by such a blow.

  4. 4

    A dry cough.

  5. 5

    A hacking; a catch in speaking; a short, broken cough.

  6. 6

    A try, an attempt.

  7. 7

    The foothold traditionally cut into the ice from which the person who throws the rock pushes off for delivery.

  8. 8

    A mattock or a miner's pickaxe.

  9. 9

    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.

  10. 10

    An interesting technical achievement, particularly in computer programming.

  11. 11

    A trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.

    โ€œPutting your phone in a sandwich bag when you go to the beach is such a great hack.โ€

  12. 12

    An illegal attempt to gain access to a computer network.

  13. 13

    A video game or any computer software that has been altered from its original state.

  14. 14

    Time check.

  15. 15

    A swing of the bat at a pitched ball by the batter.

    โ€œHe took a few hacks, but the pitcher finally struck him out.โ€

  16. 16

    A kick on the shins in football.

  17. 17

    Confinement of an officer to their stateroom as a punishment.

verb
  1. 1

    To chop or cut down in a rough manner.

    โ€œThey hacked the brush down and made their way through the jungle.โ€

  2. 2

    To cough noisily.

    โ€œThis cold is awful. I can't stop hacking.โ€

  3. 3

    To withstand or put up with a difficult situation.

    โ€œCan you hack it out here with no electricity or running water?โ€

  4. 4

    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.

    โ€œI hacked in a fix for this bug, but we'll still have to do a real fix later.โ€

  5. 5

    To accomplish a difficult programming task.

    โ€œHe can hack like no one else and make the program work as expected.โ€

  6. 6

    To work with something on an intimately technical level.

    โ€œI'm currently hacking distributed garbage collection.โ€

  7. 7

    (by extension) To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.

    โ€œI read up on dating tips so I can hack my sex life.โ€

  8. 8

    To hack into; to gain unauthorized access to (a computer system, e.g., a website, or network) by manipulating code.

    syn:crack
  9. 9

    (by extension) To gain unauthorised access to a computer or online account belonging to (a person or organisation).

    โ€œWhen I logged into the social network, I discovered I'd been hacked.โ€

  10. 10

    To strike an opponent's leg with one's hockey stick.

    โ€œHe's going to the penalty box after hacking the defender in front of the goal.โ€

  11. 11

    To make a flailing attempt to hit the puck with a hockey stick.

    โ€œThere's a scramble in front of the net as the forwards are hacking at the bouncing puck.โ€

  12. 12

    To swing at a pitched ball.

    โ€œHe went to the batter's box hacking.โ€

  13. 13

    (soccer and rugby) To kick (a player) on the shins.

  14. 14

    To strike in a frantic movement.

  15. 15

    To strike lightly as part of tapotement massage.

noun
  1. 1

    A board which the falcon's food is placed on; used by extension for the state of partial freedom in which they are kept before being trained.

  2. 2

    A food-rack for cattle.

  3. 3

    A rack used to dry something, such as bricks, fish, or cheese.

  4. 4

    A grating in a mill race.

verb
  1. 1

    To lay (bricks) on a rack to dry.

  2. 2

    To keep (young hawks) in a state of partial freedom, before they are trained.

noun
  1. 1

    A horse for hire, especially one which is old and tired.

  2. 2

    A person, often a journalist, hired to do routine work.

    โ€œI got by on hack work for years before I finally published my novel.โ€

  3. 3

    Someone who is available for hire; hireling, mercenary.

  4. 4

    A taxicab (hackney cab) driver.

  5. 5

    A vehicle let for hire; originally, a hackney coach, now typically a taxicab.

  6. 6

    A hearse.

  7. 7

    (authorship) An untalented writer.

    โ€œDason is nothing but a two-bit hack.โ€

  8. 8

    One who is professionally successful despite producing mediocre work. (Usually applied to persons in a creative field.)

  9. 9

    A talented writer-for-hire, paid to put others' thoughts into felicitous language.

  10. 10

    A political agitator. (slightly derogatory)

  11. 11

    A writer who hires himself out for any sort of literary work; an overworked man; a drudge.

  12. 12

    A procuress.

Synonyms

verb
  1. 1

    To make common or cliched; to vulgarise.

  2. 2

    To ride a horse at a regular pace; to ride on a road (as opposed to riding cross-country etc.).

  3. 3

    To be exposed or offered or to common use for hire; to turn prostitute.

  4. 4

    To live the life of a drudge or hack.

  5. 5

    To use as a hack; to let out for hire.

  6. 6

    To use frequently and indiscriminately, so as to render trite and commonplace.

noun
  1. 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. 1

    To play hackeysack.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hack