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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
Search Results for 'hack'
hack1 verb (hacked, hacking) 1 (often hack something down, away, etc) to cut or chop it roughly. 2 (often hack something out) to cut (a path, etc) eg through undergrowth. 3 intrans, colloq (often hack into something) to use a computer with skill, especially to obtain unauthorized access to (someone else's computer files). 4 with negatives and in questions, slang to be able to bear or suffer someone or something • He can't hack it. 5 intrans to cough in short dry spasms. 6 football, rugby to kick an opponent on the shins. 7 to cut (a story, article, etc) in a damaging way. noun 1 a kick on the shins. 2 a wound or rough cut, especially from a kick. 3 a mattock or miner's pick2. 4 a short dry cough. 5 a chop or blow.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon tohaccian; 1970s in verb sense 3.
hack2 noun 1 a horse kept for general riding, especially one for hire. 2 a ride on horseback. 3 an old or worn-out horse. 4 a writer who produces dull, mediocre or routine work. 5 a dogsbody. 6 US informal a a taxi; b a cab driver. verb (hacked, hacking) 1 tr & intr to ride a horse at a leisurely pace, usually for pleasure. 2 to write (an article, etc) in a mediocre or tedious manner. 3 intrans to work as a hack. adj mediocre, banal or commonplace • hack writer.
ETYMOLOGY: 17c: short form of hackney.
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