hack
/hæk/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.05 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To withstand or put up with a difficult situation.
verb
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.
verb
To accomplish a difficult programming task.
verb
To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novel method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.
Colloquial; Transitive verb
verb
To hack into; to gain unauthorized access to (a computer system, e.g., a website, or network) by manipulating code.
Slang; Transitive verb
verb
To gain unauthorized access to a computer or online account belonging to (a person or organisation).
Slang; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "They hacked the brush down and made their way through the jungle."
- "Among other things he found a sharp hunting knife, on the keen blade of which he immediately proceeded to cut his finger. Undaunted he continued his experiments, finding that he could hack and hew splinters of wood from the table and chairs with this new toy."
- "The ruthless practices of the Ontario Film Censor Board are by now the laughing stock of most of the world. Scenes that contain more flesh or affection than they find savoury are simply hacked out of the film before it is released."
- "Can you hack it out here with no electricity or running water?"
- "New Yorkers have been fleeing for months. But the fear some residents have of the violent reactions to the protests here is adding a new challenge to those asking themselves whether they can hack the city. Many are deciding not to return."
- "I hacked in a fix for this bug, but we'll still have to do a real fix later."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng-der. Proto-Germanic *hakkōną Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn Old English *haccian Middle English hakken English hack From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian häkje (“to hack”), West Frisian hakje (“to hack”), Dutch hakken (“to chop up; hack”), German hacken (“to chop; hack; hoe”), Danish hakke (“to chop”), Swedish hacka (“to hack; chop”), French hacher (“to chop”). Related to hatch. The computer senses date back to at least 1955 when it initially referred to creative problem solving. By 1963, the negative connotations of “black hat” or malicious hacking had become associated with telephone hacking (cf. phreaking).