hacking

American

[hak-ing] / ˈhæk ɪŋ /

noun

replacement of a single course of stonework by two or more lower courses.

hacking British

/ ˈhækɪŋ /

adjective

(of a cough) harsh, dry, and spasmodic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hacking

1400–50; late Middle English, in literal sense. See hack ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They placed groups of these tiles in three estuaries in the Sydney region, Brisbane Water, the Hawkesbury River and Port Hacking, near existing oyster reefs where larvae are present.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

Hacking notes there is no detail on what Steel Dynamics intends to pay for the North American assets as part of the deal, which values BlueScope at roughly US$8.8 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Citi analyst Alexander Hacking upgraded shares to Buy from Hold and maintained his price target at $48 a share.

From Barron's • Oct. 8, 2025

Lord Hacking is a rare thing - a Labour hereditary peer.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2025

Hacking falcons at Huyck Preserve, 6:00 P.M., 25th of June.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023