FluentPlex

hack

/hæk/ noun C2
  1. A tool for chopping. (countable, uncountable)
  2. A hacking blow. (countable, uncountable)
  3. A gouge or notch made by such a blow. (countable, uncountable)
  4. A try, an attempt. (countable, figuratively, uncountable)
  5. The foothold traditionally cut into the ice from which the person who throws the rock pushes off for delivery. (countable, uncountable)
  6. An improvised device or solution to a problem. (countable, informal, uncountable) · Luckily for us J company picked us up in their hack — two snowmobiles with a big inflatable raft strapped between them.
  7. An expedient, temporary solution, such as a small patch or change to code, meant to be replaced with a more elegant solution at a later date; a workaround. (countable, slang, uncountable)
  8. A computer programmer who makes quick but inelegant changes to computer code to solve problems or add features. (countable, dated, slang, uncountable) · Tsang is great but Zhou is such a hack — I wouldn't want him on my project.

Plural hacks

+ Save to review

From the library

He has been laid up with a hack, and once he slipped his knee-cap, but that was nothing.”
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, p. 107 · C1
Long does not keep a carriage, and had to come to the ball in a hack chaise.”
Pride and Prejudice, p. 19 · B2

Other matches

Learn hack in real texts

With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.

Create free account
Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.