hack

▪ I. hack hack ² noun [countable] JOBS

1. a writer who does a lot of low quality work, especially writing newspaper articles

2. informal a taxi, or someone whose job is to drive a taxi

  [m0] ▪ II. hack hack ¹ [hæk] also hack into verb [transitive]

COMPUTING to secretly reach information on someone else's computer system so that you can look at, use, or change it:

• The police are investigating a series of computer crimes involving people thought to have hacked confidential databases.

• He didn't have to hack into my personal computer to get the information.

— hacking noun [uncountable] :

• Hacking is easy if you know how to do it.

hack away at something phrasal verb [transitive]

to work slowly and with difficulty in order to reduce something:

• Budget cutters are being forced to hack away at their favorite domestic programs.

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Ⅰ.

hack UK US /hæk/ verb [I or T]

► IT to use a computer to illegally access information stored on another computer system or to spread a computer virus: hack into sth »

Two employees were charged with hacking into the company's computer system and changing data.

»

Studies have revealed that it's fairly easy to hack an electronic voting system.

Ⅱ.

hack UK US /hæk/ noun [C]

► DISAPPROVING a writer, especially a journalist, who produces articles, books, etc. that are of low quality: »

a media/newspaper hack

► DISAPPROVING someone who works mainly for money without worrying about beliefs or the opinions of others: »

a political/party hack

► US INFORMAL a person who drives a taxi

► IT an illegal use of a computer to access information stored on another computer system or to spread a computer virus : »

A hack into an employee's email provided access to a number of confidential documents.