Hack — meaning in English

English meaning

• hack verb To cut or chop something roughly, without precision.
• kludge noun A rough, quickly built device made to check whether an idea works before a proper version is designed.
• mince noun Meat that has been finely chopped or ground.

Senses

Hack is used for these senses in English:

• hack (computing, slang) 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; a workaround.
• kludge (informal) Any construction or practice, typically crude yet effective, designed to solve a problem temporarily or expediently.
• mince (uncountable) Finely chopped meat; minced meat.

hack — full definition

1. verb To cut or chop something roughly, without precision.
2. verb To break into a computer system or account without authorization.
3. verb To find a clever, often improvised shortcut for solving a problem.
4. noun A clever shortcut, trick, or workaround.
5. noun A skilled but unglamorous or uncreative worker, especially a writer or programmer producing mediocre work for hire.

kludge — full definition

1. noun A rough, quickly built device made to check whether an idea works before a proper version is designed.
2. noun A rough-and-ready method or object that solves a problem well enough for the time being.
3. noun A jumble of unrelated pieces stuck together into one thing.
4. noun (informal) A piece of computer software put together poorly or in a rush.

Related German words