hack

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 [+adv./prep.] to cut sb/sth with rough, heavy blows: [VN] I hacked the dead branches off. * They were hacked to death as they tried to escape. * We had to hack our way through the jungle. * [V] We hacked away at the bushes. 2 [VN+adv./prep.] to kick sth roughly or without control: He hacked the ball away. 3 (computing) ~ (into) (sth) to secretly find a way of looking at and/or changing information on sb else's computer system without permission: [V] He hacked into the bank's computer. * [VN] They had hacked secret data. 4 [VN] can / can't ~ it (informal) to be able/not able to manage in a particular situation: Lots of people leave this job because they can't hack it. 5 [V] (usually go hacking) (especially BrE) to ride a horse for pleasure 6 [V] (AmE, informal) to drive a taxi noun 1 (disapproving) a writer, especially of newspaper articles, who does a lot of low quality work and does not get paid much 2 (disapproving) a person who does the hard and often boring work for an organization, especially a politician: a party hack 3 a horse for ordinary riding or one that can be hired 4 (AmE, informal) a taxi 5 an act of hitting sth, especially with a cutting tool: I was sure he was going to take a hack at us.