Playful solving of technical work that requires deep understanding, especially of a computer system.
"The team spent the weekend hacking together a custom script to bypass the outdated firewall without breaking the core server architecture."
In plain English: Hacking is when someone breaks into computer systems to steal information or cause damage without permission.
"He spent all morning hacking away at his new garden to prepare for planting flowers."
present participle of hack
"The surgeon used his scalpel to carefully hacking away at the tumor until it was completely removed."
In plain English: Hacking means to break into computer systems and steal information without permission.
"He spent all night hacking away at his new wooden deck with an old axe."
Short and interrupted, broken, jerky; hacky.
"The old film suffered from hacking quality where every scene seemed to stop abruptly and restart jerkily."
In plain English: Hacking describes something that is done quickly and with very little effort, often by cutting corners to get results fast.
"The hacker downloaded several hacking tools to bypass the security system."
Usage: Use the adjective form to describe something short, interrupted, or jerky in movement rather than referring to playful problem-solving. This term is often confused with "hackneyed," but it specifically denotes a physical quality of being choppy instead of meaning clichéd.
A surname.
"The meeting was chaired by Mr. Hacking, a well-known philosopher of science."
The word hacking comes from the Middle English verb hack, which originally meant to strike or cut with a sharp tool. It entered modern usage as a present participle describing the act of chopping or cutting something repeatedly.