Hacks meaning : A tool for chopping. A hacking blow. A gouge or notch made by such a blow. A dry cough. A hacking; a catch in speaking; a short, broken cough. A try, an attempt. The foothold traditionally cut into the ice from which the person who throws the rock pushes off for delivery. A mattock or a miner's pickaxe. An expedient, temporary solution, such as a small patch or change to code, meant to be replaced with a more elegant solution at a later date. An interesting technical achievement, particularly in computer programming. A trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity, efficiency or ease. An illegal attempt to gain access to a computer network. A video game or any computer software that has been altered from its original state. Time check. A swing of the bat at a pitched ball by the batter. A kick on the shins in football. Confinement of an officer to their stateroom as a punishment. To chop or cut down in a rough manner. To cough noisily. To withstand or put up with a difficult situation. To make a quick code change to patch a computer program, often one that, while being effective, is inelegant or makes the program harder to maintain. To accomplish a difficult programming task. To work with something on an intimately technical level. (by extension) To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease. To hack into; to gain unauthorized access to (a computer system, e.g., a website, or network) by manipulating code. (by extension) To gain unauthorised access to a computer or online account belonging to (a person or organisation). To strike an opponent's leg with one's hockey stick. To make a flailing attempt to hit the puck with a hockey stick. To swing at a pitched ball. (soccer and rugby) To kick (a player) on the shins. To strike in a frantic movement. To strike lightly as part of tapotement massage. A board which the falcon's food is placed on; used by extension for the state of partial freedom in which they are kept before being trained. A food-rack for cattle. A rack used to dry something, such as bricks, fish, or cheese. A grating in a mill race. To lay (bricks) on a rack to dry. To keep (young hawks) in a state of partial freedom, before they are trained. A horse for hire, especially one which is old and tired. A person, often a journalist, hired to do routine work. Someone who is available for hire; hireling, mercenary. A taxicab (hackney cab) driver. A vehicle let for hire; originally, a hackney coach, now typically a taxicab. A hearse. (authorship) An untalented writer. One who is professionally successful despite producing mediocre work. (Usually applied to persons in a creative field.) A talented writer-for-hire, paid to put others' thoughts into felicitous language. A political agitator. (slightly derogatory) A writer who hires himself out for any sort of literary work; an overworked man; a drudge. A procuress. To make common or cliched; to vulgarise. To ride a horse at a regular pace; to ride on a road (as opposed to riding cross-country etc.). To be exposed or offered or to common use for hire; to turn prostitute. To live the life of a drudge or hack. To use as a hack; to let out for hire. To use frequently and indiscriminately, so as to render trite and commonplace. A small ball usually made of woven cotton or suede and filled with rice, sand or some other filler, for use in hackeysack. To play hackeysack.