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)

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

• unhashed adjective

Etymology

Origin of hash¹

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

Origin of hash²

By shortening

Example Sentences

But after more than two years of trying to hash out new long-term rules for sharing water, they remain deadlocked; the existing rules are set to expire at the end of this year.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of it was in the alphabet he knew, some of it in alphabets he had never seen, with pictures, or great hashed strokes of geometry.

From Literature

“We hashed it out. And it was hard. It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner.”

From Salon

Representatives of California and six other states that depend on the river have been meeting regularly over the last two years to hash out a long-term plan to address shortages after 2026.

From Los Angeles Times

Gaps in data because of the government shutdown make a hash of the latest federal reports on inflation and economic growth.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• stew