From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhackhack1 /hæk/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]CUT to cut something roughly or violentlyhack (away) at something She hacked away at the ice, trying to make a hole.hack something off/down etc Whole forests have been hacked down.hack your way through/into something He hacked his way through the undergrowth. Both men had been hacked to death (=killed using large knives).2 [intransitive, transitive] to secretly find a way of getting information from someone else’s computer or changing information on ithack into Somebody hacked into the company’s central database. He managed to hack the code. → hacker3 → can’t hack something4 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British EnglishDSH to ride a horse along roads or through the country5 [intransitive] to cough in a loud unpleasant way → hack somebody off→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
hack• Bill Atkinson quickly hacked a driver program that allowed the mouse to move a cursor on the computer screen.• The lower-tier offence should cover simple hacking and the other, hacking with intent to steal or damage.• Robert was hacking at the base of the tree with an axe.• He picked up an axe and began hacking at the door.• But propaganda that all old-growth forests are being hacked down willy-nilly is nonsense.• But against all my expectations, the longer he kept away, the more I found I could hack it.• I couldn't stop hacking last night.• The first was hacking round Crieff, eventually posting a horrendous score of 112, with Roy Nicolson as his playing partner.• They managed to hack their way through the jungle.• All of the victims had been hacked to death.• The two women were hacked to pieces by their attackers.• The bodies of the five men had been hacked to pieces.• Often, for shrubbery to thrive, it first had to be hacked to the ground.hacked to death• Al-Walid Ibn Yazid: hacked to death.• Daphne says that many baby elephants arrive at the sanctuary in shock, having seen their entire extended family hacked to death.• This is grief and hatred and people hacked to death.• They were hacked to death and their bodies set on fire.• In the latter incident on Sept. 13 at least 26 people were shot or hacked to death, and well over 100 injured.• They were hacked to death as they sunbathed at Sodwana Bay, Zululand.• In some alleyway or runnel a man hacked to death for stealing ale.• Police reported yesterday that four black men were stabbed and hacked to death in a battle in Magoda township.hack into• A criminal gang hacked into a credit card company's most secure files.• A teenage boy managed to hack into military computer networks. Occupations, Newspapers, printing, publishing, Officials, Motor vehicles, Animals, Horses, Computers
hackhack2 /hæk/ noun [countable] 1 BOTCNa writer who does a lot of low-quality work, especially writing newspaper articles A Sunday newspaper hack uncovered the story.2 PGOan unimportant politician The meeting was attended by the usual old party hacks.3 a way of using a computer to get into someone else’s computer system without their permission4 American English informalBOTTC a taxi, or a taxi driver5 CUTan act of hitting something roughly with a cutting tool One more hack and the branch was off. 6 HBAan old tired horse7 DSHa horse you can pay money to ride on8 British EnglishDSH a ride on a horse a long hack across the fieldsExamples from the Corpus
hack• London is, or was, a great refuge for hacks.• The editor sent one of his hacks to interview the murderer's girlfriend.• A group of hacks were huddled around the gates, waiting for her to emerge.• It was heralded by more than one hack as being just another gadget.• Before the election Davies was considered just a political hack.• On our wish-list, needless to say, we would name only serious writers, rather than hacks or functionaries.• the hacks who write TV movies• The hacks need any crumb of information to help them have a stab at selecting their probable line-ups.From Longman Business Dictionaryhackhack1 /hæk/ (also hack into) verb [transitive] COMPUTING to secretly reach information on someone else’s computer system so that you can look at, use, or change itThe police are investigating a series of computer crimes involving people thought to have hacked confidential databases.He didn’t have to hack into my personal computer to get the information. —hacking noun [uncountable]Hacking is easy if you know how to do it. → hack away at something→ See Verb tablehackhack2 noun [countable]JOB1a writer who does a lot of low quality work, especially writing newspaper articles2American English informal a taxi, or someone whose job is to drive a taxiOrigin hack1 Old English haccian hack2 (1700-1800) hackney “horse for ordinary riding”; → HACKNEYED 