hacker

[ hak-er ]

/ ˈhæk ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hacker ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that hacks.

Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill: weekend hackers on the golf course.

Digital Technology.

a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast: My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.
a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., usually with malicious intent: A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive! The company has hired hackers to test system security.

RELATED WORDS

operator, technician, programmer

Nearby words

hackathon, hackberry, hackbut, hackbuteer, hackensack, hacker, hackery, hackette, hackie, hacking, hacking jacket

Origin of hacker

1200–50 for def 1 Middle English (as surname); see hack¹, -er¹; 1975–80 for def 2

Definition for hacker (2 of 2)

hack

[ hak ]

/ hæk /

noun

a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts: As a painter, he was little more than a hack.

a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment: a political hack.

a writer who works on the staff of a publisher at a dull or routine task; someone who works as a literary drudge: He was one among the many hacks on Grub Street.

British.

a horse kept for common hire or adapted for general work, especially ordinary riding.
a saddle horse used for transportation, rather than for show, hunting, or the like.

an old or worn-out horse; jade.

a coach or carriage kept for hire; hackney.

Informal.

a taxi.
Also hackie. a cabdriver.

Slang. a prison guard.

verb (used with object)

to make a hack of; let out for hire.

to make trite or stale by frequent use; hackney.

verb (used without object)

Informal. to drive a taxi.

to ride or drive on the road at an ordinary pace, as distinguished from cross-country riding or racing.

British. to rent a horse, especially by the hour.

adjective

hired as a hack; of a hired sort: a hack writer; hack work.

hackneyed; trite; banal: hack writing.

Origin of hack

First recorded in 1680–90; short for hackney

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hacker

Until recently, the hacker collective known as Lizard Squad was all but unknown.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the real world, he said, a hacker is more likely interested in stealing records he can sell than in harming a patient.
How Your Pacemaker Will Get Hacked|Kaiser Health News|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Four days later, 4.6 million Snapchat usernames and phone numbers were compromised and leaked online by a hacker.
‘The Snappening’ Is Real: 90,000 Private Photos and 9,000 Hacked Snapchat Videos Leak Online|Marlow Stern|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hacker group Anonymous blew it—and tormented a woman not connected to the shooting of Michael Brown.
Web Sleuths Get It Wrong Again in Ferguson|Tim Mak|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Snowden gives the hacker community its marching orders: Fight surveillance by making privacy tools for everyone.
Snowden Tells Hackers of the World to Unite|Joshua Kopstein|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Mrs. Hacker's married daughter Sarah was a widow," said she, to give the conversation a lift.
It Never Can Happen Again|William De Morgan
Any complex system is sport for a hacker; a side effect of this is the hacker's natural affinity for problems involving security.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
"Hacker naturally thinks that your brother is still living," explained Charity.
The Torch and Other Tales|Eden Phillpotts
The bishop and Hacker melted into tears as they bade their master farewell.
Charles I|Jacob Abbott
William Lowther was the son of Robert, and came with his father to the Hacker creek settlement in 1772.
Chronicles of Border Warfare|Alexander Scott Withers

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (1 of 4)

hacker

/ (ˈhækə) /

noun

a person that hacks

slang a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (2 of 4)

hack

/ (hæk) /

verb

(when intr, usually foll by at or away) to cut or chop (at) irregularly, roughly, or violently

to cut and clear (a way, path, etc), as through undergrowth

(in sport, esp rugby) to foul (an opposing player) by kicking or striking his shins

basketball to commit the foul of striking (an opposing player) on the arm

(intr) to cough in short dry spasmodic bursts

(tr) to reduce or cut (a story, article, etc) in a damaging way

to manipulate a computer program skilfully, esp, to gain unauthorized access to another computer system

(tr) slang to tolerate; cope withI joined the army but I couldn't hack it

hack to bits to damage severelyhis reputation was hacked to bits

noun

a cut, chop, notch, or gash, esp as made by a knife or axe

any tool used for shallow digging, such as a mattock or pick

a chopping blow

a dry spasmodic cough

a kick on the shins, as in rugby

a wound from a sharp kick

Word Origin for hack

Old English haccian; related to Old Frisian hackia, Middle High German hacken

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (3 of 4)

hack

/ (hæk) /

noun

a horse kept for riding or (more rarely) for driving

an old, ill-bred, or overworked horse

a horse kept for hire

British a country ride on horseback

a drudge

a person who produces mediocre literary or journalistic work

Also called: hackney US a coach or carriage that is for hire

Also called: hackie US informal

a cab driver
a taxi

verb

British to ride (a horse) cross-country for pleasure

(tr) to let (a horse) out for hire

(tr) informal to write (an article) as or in the manner of a hack

(intr) US informal to drive a taxi

adjective

(prenominal) banal, mediocre, or unoriginalhack writing

Word Origin for hack

C17: short for hackney

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (4 of 4)

hack

/ (hæk) /

noun

a rack used for fodder for livestock

a board on which meat is placed for a hawk

a pile or row of unfired bricks stacked to dry

verb (tr)

to place (fodder) in a hack

to place (bricks) in a hack

Word Origin for hack

C16: variant of hatch ²

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

hacker

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of hacker

Definition for hacker (2 of 2)

hack

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Origin of hack

Examples from the Web for hacker

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (1 of 4)

hacker

noun

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (2 of 4)

hack

verb

noun

Word Origin for hack

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (3 of 4)

hack

noun

verb

adjective

Word Origin for hack

British Dictionary definitions for hacker (4 of 4)

hack

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for hack