Hack (Verb)
Meaning 1
Fix a computer program piecemeal until it works; "I'm not very good at hacking but I'll give it my best".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- We've been trying to hack this legacy code all day to get the update working on time.
- I'm being asked to hack together something with what we have, and hope it holds until we can get it properly replaced.
- If you're having trouble with the install, I can try and hack through the registry to get it working.
- I spent all last night trying to hack at this software, and I still can't get it to function as promised.
- As a last resort, they decided to hack the original code until they could figure out what had gone wrong.
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Meaning 2
Cut with a hacking tool.
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The woodcutter used his axe to hack through the thick branches of the fallen tree.
- With a few swift strokes, she was able to hack away the dead leaves and reveal the hidden path.
- The lumberjack will hack into the trunk of the tree to create the perfect log.
- It took almost an hour to hack through the thick ice and reach the frozen lake beneath.
- To make the wood more manageable, he began to hack it into smaller sections with his saw.
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Meaning 3
Cough spasmodically; "The patient with emphysema is hacking all day".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- The patient with emphysema is hacking all day as his lungs struggle to take in air.
- After years of smoking, she started hacking violently every morning.
- He was hacking so badly that he couldn't catch his breath and needed an oxygen tank.
- Throughout the night, she kept hacking away due to her severe bronchitis.
- The frail elderly woman was hacking persistently, a sign of her declining respiratory health.
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Meaning 4
Be able to manage or manage successfully; "I can't hack it anymore"; "she could not cut the long days in the office".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The pressure of being a single parent is becoming too much, I don't think I can hack it anymore.
- She was known for her ability to hack long hours during exam periods and still get top grades.
- After the breakup, he found it difficult to hack the emotional demands of being alone.
- The demands of running a business are extreme, but she was able to hack the workload with the help of her team.
- Working in the emergency services, she struggled to hack the trauma she witnessed daily.
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Meaning 5
Cut away; "he hacked his way through the forest".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The archaeologist hacked through dense foliage to uncover the ancient temple.
- With his machete in hand, he hacked his way through the thick undergrowth.
- Rescuers hacked at the wreckage to free the trapped passengers.
- She hacked through the vines that had engulfed the old mansion.
- He hacked a path through the overgrown vegetation to reach the abandoned mine.
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Meaning 6
Kick on the arms.
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- She hacked at the dense underbrush with her machete, clearing a path through the forest.
- To avoid the cacti, carefully hack a safe route through the thorny vegetation.
- He learned how to hack the tough exterior of a coconut to reveal the tender flesh inside.
- Hack as you would a log with an axe at the thick creepers hindering your progress.
- Using a sharp knife, precision hack the ropes away from your trapped arms.
Meaning 7
Significantly cut up a manuscript.
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The editor was forced to hack the original manuscript and reorganize the chapters to meet the publisher's requirements.
- In an attempt to modernize the classic novel, the author began to hack at the complex, outdated language.
- After receiving negative feedback, she hack away at her manuscript to fit the desires of her critics.
- Publishers hacked the once-esteemed novelist's last work to fit the popular style of the day.
- Her editor told her to hack the cluttered narrative, removing any sections that didn't contribute to the plot progression.
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Meaning 8
Kick on the shins.
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- She let out a loud yelp as he managed to hack at her shin during the intense football match.
- In a moment of sheer recklessness, the defending player chose to hack at the strikers legs rather than the ball.
- Careless tackling can cause serious injury when a defender tries to hack at the ball at the last moment.
- However most referees would agree to give a yellow card to anyone who hack at another player rather than the ball.
- If you continue to hack at other players legs the coach will have to bench you for the remainder of the game.