hash

¹ American  

[hash] / hæʃ /

noun

1. a dish of diced or chopped meat and often vegetables, as of leftover corned beef or veal and potatoes, sautéed in a frying pan, or of meat, potatoes, and carrots cooked together in gravy.

2. a mess, jumble, or muddle.

   a hash of unorganized facts and figures.

3. a reworking of old and familiar material.

   This essay is a hash of several earlier and better works.

4. Computers.

   1. garbage.

   2. hash value.

   3. hashing.

   4. hash mark.

   5. hash table.

5. Radio and Television Slang. electrical noise on an analog radio or, appearing as snow, in an analog television picture, caused by interfering outside sources that generate sparking.

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verb (used with object)

hashes, present (3rd person singular) hashed, past participle, past hashing present participle

1. to chop into small pieces; make into hash; mince.

2. to muddle or mess up.

   We thought we knew our parts, but when the play began we hashed the whole thing.

3. to discuss or review (something) thoroughly (often followed byout ).

   They hashed out every aspect of the issue.

verb phrase

1. hash over to bring up again for consideration; discuss, especially in review.

   At the class reunion they hashed over their college days.

idioms

1. settle someone's hash, to stop, silence, or subdue.

   If she keeps badmouthing me, I'm going to have to settle her hash.

2. make a hash of, to spoil or botch.

   The new writer made a hash of his first assignment.

hash ² American  

[hash] / hæʃ /

noun

Slang.

1. hashish.

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hash ¹ British  

/ hæʃ /

noun

1. a dish of diced cooked meat, vegetables, etc, reheated in a sauce

2. something mixed up

3. a reuse or rework of old material

4. informal

   1. to mix or mess up

   2. to defeat or destroy

5. informal to subdue or silence someone

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verb

1. to chop into small pieces

2. to mix or mess up

hash ² British  

/ hæʃ /

noun

1. the character (#) used to precede a number

2. this sign used in printing or writing to indicate that a space should be inserted

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hash ³ British  

/ hæʃ /

noun

1. slang short for hashish

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hash More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing hash

• make a hash of
• settle someone's hash
• sling hash

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unhashed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• hashing
  present
• hashed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hash
  simple
• hashes
  simple
• have hashed
  perfect
• has hashed
  perfect
• am hashing
  progressive
• are hashing
  progressive
• is hashing
  progressive
• have been hashing
  perfect progressive
• has been hashing
  perfect progressive

Past

• hashed
  simple
• had hashed
  perfect
• was hashing
  progressive
• were hashing
  progressive
• had been hashing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hash
  simple
• will have hashed
  perfect
• will be hashing
  progressive
• will have been hashing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hash¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from French hacher “to cut up,” derivative of hache “ax,” see hatchet

Origin of hash²

By shortening

Example Sentences

When markets are left to their own devices, one upshot could be more volatility in the bond markets, as traders and investors hash out their divergent views.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

As it turns out, even the most committed skeptic can be won over by a plate of greasy, crisp hash browns, a perfectly smoked brisket or a side of ranch.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2026

Between artificial intelligence, the Iran War, and the future of Taiwan, there’s a lot for the United States and China to hash out—not least of which being the pecking order.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

Times pop music critic Mikael Wood and Times film critic Amy Nicholson hash it out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Here, too, battered trash cans were chained to a black lamppost, only these were filled with garbage, some of which had spilled out and lay scattered in puddles of pulpy hash.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Related Words

• stew