Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Hack?

\Hack\, n. [See {Hatch} a half door.] 1. A frame or grating of various kinds; as, a frame for drying bricks, fish, or cheese; a rack for feeding cattle; a grating in a mill race, etc. 2. Unburned brick or tile, stacked up for drying.
\Hack\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hacked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hacking}.] [OE. hakken; akin to D. hakken, G. hacken, Dan. hakke, Sw. hacka, and perh. to E. hew. Cf. {Hew} to cut, {Haggle}.] 1. To cut irregulary, without skill or definite purpose; to notch; to mangle by repeated strokes of a cutting instrument; as, to hack a post. My sword hacked like a handsaw. --Shak. 2. Fig.: To mangle in speaking. --Shak.
\Hack\, v. i. To cough faintly and frequently, or in a short, broken manner; as, a hacking cough.
\Hack\, n. 1. A notch; a cut. --Shak. 2. An implement for cutting a notch; a large pick used in breaking stone. 3. A hacking; a catch in speaking; a short, broken cough. --Dr. H. More. 4. (Football) A kick on the shins. --T. Hughes. {Hack saw}, a handsaw having a narrow blade stretched in an iron frame, for cutting metal.
\Hack\, n. [Shortened fr. hackney. See {Hackney}.] 1. A horse, hackneyed or let out for common hire; also, a horse used in all kinds of work, or a saddle horse, as distinguished from hunting and carriage horses. 2. A coach or carriage let for hire; particularly, a a coach with two seats inside facing each other; a hackney coach. On horse, on foot, in hacks and gilded chariots. --Pope. 3. A bookmaker who hires himself out for any sort of literary work; an overworked man; a drudge. Here lies poor Ned Purdon, from misery freed, Who long was a bookseller's hack. --Goldsmith. 4. A procuress.
\Hack\, a. Hackneyed; hired; mercenary. --Wakefield. {Hack writer}, a hack; one who writes for hire. ``A vulgar hack writer.'' --Macaulay.
\Hack\, v. t. 1. To use as a hack; to let out for hire. 2. To use frequently and indiscriminately, so as to render trite and commonplace. The word ``remarkable'' has been so hacked of late. --J. H. Newman.
\Hack\, v. i. 1. To be exposed or offered or to common use for hire; to turn prostitute. --Hanmer. 2. To live the life of a drudge or hack. --Goldsmith.
\Hack\, v. i. To ride or drive as one does with a hack horse; to ride at an ordinary pace, or over the roads, as distinguished from riding across country or in military fashion.
\Hack\, v. t. (Football) To kick the shins of (an opposing payer).
\Hack\, n. (Football) A kick on the shins, or a cut from a kick.