1. Cut with heavy blows, usually using a large hand-held tool
   "hack into the trees to draw out the gummy sap";
   - chop
    
2. Cut through undergrowth etc. to make a path
   "he hacked his way through the forest"
    
3. Edit or reduce a text severely, often in a way that damages its integrity or flow
   "The editor hacked the article to fit the page limit";
   - cut up
    
4. Obtain unauthorized access to a computer or network
   "The cybercriminals attempted to hack into the company's database"
    
5. [informal] Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works
   "I'm not very good at hacking but I'll give it my best"
    
6. Cough spasmodically
   "The patient with emphysema is hacking all day";
   - whoop
    
7. [informal] Be able to manage or manage successfully
   "I can't hack it anymore";
   - cut [informal]
    
8. (rugby) kick on the shins
   "The player was penalized for hacking his opponent"
    
9. (basketball) strike or chop at an opponent's arms
   "He was called for hacking the shooter"

1. [N. Amer] A car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money
   "They hailed a hack to take them to the airport";
   - cab, taxi, taxicab
    
2. One who works hard at boring tasks
   "The office hack spent hours inputting data into the system";
   - drudge, hacker [informal]
    
3. A mediocre and disdained writer
   "The hack writer churned out formulaic romance novels"; "The literary hack writer churned out formulaic romance novels";
   - hack writer [informal], literary hack
    
4. A politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends
   "The political hack secured votes through questionable means";
   - machine politician, ward-heeler [N. Amer, informal], political hack, heeler [N. Amer]
    
5. A tool (as a hoe, pick or mattock) used for breaking up the surface of the soil
   "The gardener used a hack to loosen the compacted earth"
    
6. [informal] An instance of someone obtaining unauthorized access to a computer or network
   "The recent hack exposed millions of users' personal data"
    
7. [informal] Something that does not fix a problem but offers an alternative method to avoid it; usually a temporary solution to a software bug
   "The developers implemented a hack until they could fix the underlying issue";
   - workaround
    
8. An old or over-worked horse
   "The farmer's hack had seen better days";
   - jade, nag, plug [N. Amer, informal]
    
9. A horse kept for hire
   "We rented hacks from the stable for our trail ride"
    
10. A saddle horse used for transportation rather than sport etc.
    "They rented hacks for a leisurely ride through the countryside"

Derived forms: hacks, hacking, hacked

Type of: author, auto [informal], autocar [archaic], automobile [N. Amer], car, cough, cut, edit, Equus caballus, foul, get by, horse, hoss [US, informal], make do, manage, motor [Brit, informal], motorcar, mount, pol [N. Amer, informal], political leader, politician, politico [informal], pollie [Austral, informal], polly [Austral, informal], program, programme [Brit, Cdn], redact, riding horse, saddle horse, tool, unskilled person, wheel [informal], whip [US, informal], writer

Part of: fleet, Grub Street

Encyclopedia: Hack, Maria