From Late Middle English hackere, hakker, hakkere (“one who cuts wood, woodchopper, woodcutter; (rare) tool for cutting wood”), from hakken, hacke (“to cut (something) with a chopping action, hack; to make a chopping action”) + -er(e) (suffix forming agent nouns). Hakken is derived from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn (“to chop, hack”), from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop, hack”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; a handle; a hook; a peg”). The English word may be analysed as hack (“to chop or cut down in a rough manner”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns).
A hacker hacked into his computer account yesterday.
I'm a computer crook, the Willie Sutton of hackers. I break into computer systems for fun—and profit. To me, the Apple is the forbidden fruit.1986 April, Curtis Slepian, “The April Papers”, in R. Wayne Schmittberger, editor, Games, volume 10, number 4 (number 74 overall), New York, N.Y.: Playboy Enterprises, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15:
3 more examples
Typically, one hacker will annoy another; the offended party replies by launching a denial-of-service attack against the offender.2007, “Category 5—Illustrative Crosscutting Problem-focused Research Areas”, in Seymour E. Goodman, Herbert S. Lin, editors, Toward a Safer and More Secure Cyberspace, Washington, D.C.: Committee on Improving Cybersecurity Research in the United States, National Research Council, →ISBN, part II (An Illustrative Research Agenda), page 205:
Cris “Space Rogue” Thomas, another ex-L0pht member who testified alongside Zatko that day, said that L0pht would do everything it could to get companies to collaboratively fix software issues the hacker group found.2022 October 17, Sean Lyngaas and Clare Duffy, “How a 51-year-old celebrity hacker upended one of the world’s most influential social networks”, in CNN Business:
In 2022, hackers leaked unreleased footage from its next iteration of GTA.2023 December 4, Ramishah Maruf, “GTA 6 leak: ‘Grand Theft Auto’ trailer reveals game’s release date”, in CNN:
2
One who cuts with heavy or rough blows.
[O]ne good hacker, being a luſty labourer, vvill at good eaſe hacke or cut more then halfe an Acre of ground in a day; […]1625, Gervase Markham, “Of the Ordering, Tilling, and Dressing of All Sorts of Plaine Barren Clayes, whether They be Simple or Compounded”, in Markhams Farwell to Husbandry or, The Inriching of All Sorts of Barren and Sterile Grounds in Our Kingdome, […], revised edition, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Roger Iackson, […], →OCLC, page 5:
In January or February the "hacker," with his keen-bladed ax, begins the round which ends the season. […] His task is to cut the "boxes" in which the thick gum of the wounded tree will collect. A box is a wide incision about six inches deep, a wedge shaped cut in the tree, […] About a quart of sap is taken from each box by means of the trowel-shaped scoop used by the dipper, and then the hacker comes along and starts the flow afresh by wounding the tree again.1895 January 18, Chicago Record, quotee, “Making turpentine: An extensive industry in certain southern states”, in Edward D. Baldwin, editor, The Newton Graphic, volume XXIII, number 14, Newton, Mass.: Edward D. Baldwin, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5, column 4:
3
One who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity, especially (sports, originally and chiefly golf), a sport such as golf or tennis.
a tennis hacker
And then Billy was a middle-aged optometrist again, playing hacker’s golf this time—on a blazing summer Sunday morning.1969 March 31, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., chapter 4, in Slaughterhouse-Five […] (A Seymour Lawrence Book), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press, →OCLC, page 79:
1 more example
Everybody likes to second‐guess computers, including who seed the pros. Nothing could have better exposed the vulnerability of the computer seeding than the spectacle of clay‐court experts looking like weekend hackers on grass.1979 July 2, “Reflection on the Seedings Fills Pause at Wimbledon”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2024:
4
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, SciencesDated One who is expert at programming and solving problems with a computer.
The Electrical Engineering Department, J. McKenzie in particular, for allowing me to use the PDP-1 computer to do the extensive computations, draw graphs, and even type this thesis. In this connection Charles Landau did some of the programming, Luella Thompson did most of the typing, and W. B. Ackermann helped when the machine would not cooperate. Many other computer hackers also willingly offered advice.1968 September, Rory [Jack] Thompson; Louis N[orberg] Howard, thesis supervisor, “Acknowledgments”, in Instabilities of Some Time-dependent Flows (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation), Cambridge, Mass.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Sep 2015, page 107:
A hacker starts with nothing but a dream and a floppy disk and presently finds himself in a business that's doubled and trebled. Three "diskzines" – magazines on floppy disks – started cheaply by entrepreneurs who placed ads in obscure computer journals […]1984, Venture: For Entrepreneurial Business Owners and Investors, volume 6, part 1, New York, N.Y.: Venture Magazine, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 142:
1 more example
While most hackers are people who simply love playing with computers and who break security measures in a network only for fun or to point out flaws, there is a malicious subset of hackers known as "crackers," who intrude on computer networks to cause damage, commit fraud, or steal data.1995 May 22, Joe Chidley, “Cracking the Net”, in Maclean’s, volume 108, Toronto, Ont.: Maclean-Hunter Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 54–56; quoted in “Bibliography”, in Suzanne Elizabeth Kender, editor, Crime in America (The Reference Shelf; volume 68, number 5), New York, N.Y.: H[alsey] W[illiam] Wilson Company, 1996, →ISBN, page 197:
› Someone who hacks. › One who is expert at programming and solving…
5
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, SciencesBroadly, Dated One who applies a novel method, shortcut, skill, or trick to something to increase ease, efficiency, or productivity.
Obsolete Synonym of hackster (“a violent bully or ruffian; also, an assassin, a murderer”).
8
Something that hacks; a device or tool for hacking; specifically, an axe used for cutting tree branches or wood.
Thomas Limbrick, who was only nine years of age, said he lived with his mother when Deborah was beat: that his mother throwed her down all along with her hands; and then against a wall, and kicked her in the belly: that afterwards she picked her up, and beat her with the hacker on the side of the head; wiped the blood off with a dish-clout, and took her up to bed after she was dead.1825, Andrew Knapp, William Baldwin, “Hannah Limbrick, Executed for Murder”, in The Newgate Calendar; […], volume III, London: J. Robins and Co., […], →OCLC, page 231, column 1:
When the dipping is thus over, the next work is to "chip" or scarify the tree immediately over the box, […] This is done by an instrument usually called a "hacker," sometimes "shave." Its form is somewhat like a "round shave," narrowing at the cutting place to the diameter of an inch, with a shank, to be fixed securely into a strong, heavy handle of about two feet in length, while the faces of the trees are low, but the handle is made longer as years advance the faces higher.1846 July, John Macleod, “The Tar and Turpentine Business of North Carolina”, in John S. Skinner, editor, The Monthly Journal of Agriculture, […], volume II, number 1, New York, N.Y.: Greeley & McElrath, […], published 1847, →OCLC, page 15:
1 more example
George C. Howard, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S. / grindstone hacker. / Report.—Commended for the contrivance of an instrument, called a "hacker," that is used in trimming grindstones. This hacker turns with the stone, and is drawn across in a slide rest, and fulfills its important function satisfactorily.1877, “Reports on Awards. Group XXI. [Machine Tools,—Wood, Metal, and Stone.]”, in Francis A[masa] Walker, editor, United States Centennial Commission. International Exhibition, 1876. Reports and Awards. Group XXI, Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., →OCLC, paragraph 23, page 13:
9
UK, Regional A fork-shaped tool used to harvest root vegetables.
The upper half of each swede-turnip had been eaten off by the live-stock, and it was the business of the two women to grab up the lower or earthy half of the root with a hooked fork called a hacker, that it might be eaten also.1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter XLIII, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume III, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the fifth (The Woman Pays), page 44:
Hack. […] To loosen the earth round potatoes, preparatory to earthing them up. This is done with a ‘tater-hacker,’ an old three-grained garden-fork, which by bending down the tines or ‘grains’ at right angles to the handle has been converted into something resembling a rake, but used as a hoe.1893, George Edward Dartnell, Edward Hungerford Goddard, “Hack”, in A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Wiltshire, London: […] [F]or the English Dialect Society by Henry Frowde, […], →OCLC, page 72:
Etymology From hack (“(obsolete) to confuse or mangle (words) when speaking”) + -er (suffix forming frequentative verbs).
1
UK, Archaic, Dialectal To speak with a spasmodic repetition of vocal sounds; to stammer, to stutter; also, to mumble and procrastinate in one's speech; to hem and haw.
The interrupting of the Miniſter by the Clark, and the vvhole congregation, vvhen he readeth the Pſalms, by taking every other verſe out of his mouth, vvith an hackering confuſed noiſe, eſpecially in countrey Churches, vvhere the people cannot read vvell.1642, Lewes Hughes, “The Errors and Ungodliness of the Service Displaid and Laid Open, by Way of a Dialogue between a Countrey Gentleman, and a Minister of Gods Word”, in Certain Grievances, or The Popish Errors and Ungodlinesse of the Service-book; […], 5th edition, London: […] T. P., →OCLC, page 13:
Stammering, hackering—and so forth; it's shameful to relate! A soldier should be sound, brave, firm, decisive, true, honourable!1810, Alexander Vassiliavitch Suvorof, “Appendix No. II. Field Marshal Court Alexander Vassiliavitch Suvorof’s ‘Discourse under the Trigger;’ […]”, in Edward Daniel Clarke, Travels in Various Countries of Europe Asia and Africa, 1st part (Russia Tartary and Turkey), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] University Press by R. Watts for T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies […], →OCLC, page 709:
4 more examples
[M]y noble patron has my habit of hackering so completely that he scarcely speaks three words without two stops; but when we get at his meaning it is better than any one's.1814 June 18 (date written), Mary Russell Mitford, “To Mrs. Mitford, Bertram House”, in A. G. K. L’Estrange, editor, The Life of Mary Russell Mitford, […] Told by Herself in Letters to Her Friends. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], published 1870, →OCLC, page 214:
Since the new marriage act, we, who belong to country magistrates, have gained a priority over the rest of the parish in matrimonial news. […] Many a blushing awkward pair hath our litle lame clerk (a sorry Cupid!) ushered in between dark and light to stammer and hacker, to bow and curtsy, to sign or make a mark, as it pleases Heaven.1824, Mary Russell Mitford, “Hannah”, in Our Village: Sketches of Rural Character and Scenery, volume I, London: G[eorge Byrom] and W. B. Whittaker, […], →OCLC, page 22:
[P]oor Adams became flustered, and hackered and stammered, as if in the way of imitating the Westminster Ciceros.1825 March 9, William Cobbett, “To the Electors of Westminster. On the Speech of Sir Francis Burdett, of the 1st March 1825, when He Presented the Petition of the Catholics of Ireland.”, in William Cobbett, editor, Cobbett’s Weekly Political Register, volume 53, number 11, London: […] C[harles Robert] Clement, […], published 12 March 1825, →OCLC, column 643:
Certainly, some folks said that he was a born fool, and that he said so few words because he hackered and stammered so awfully. But that, belike, was only jealousy.1891, J[ohn] C[hristopher] Atkinson, “How Little Jack Came to be Called the Wolf-queller”, in The Last of the Giant Killers: Or The Exploits of Sir Jack of Danby Dale, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 52:
hacker
noun
Etymology Possibly from hack(ney cab) (“carriage pulled by a hackney horse, or motorized vehicle, available for public hire”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns).
Start runnin' for a streetcar and they open up with machine guns and bump two pedestrians, a hacker asleep in his cab, and an old scrubwoman on the second floor workin' a mop. And they miss the guy they're after.1938 January, Raymond Chandler, “Red Wind. Chapter 3.”, in Trouble is My Business, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, published May 1965, →OCLC, page 173:
Washington Hacker Charles A. Culp and his pet macaw parrot, Capt. Bligh, ran afoul of the law when a policeman charged Culp with failure to give full time and attention to driving, because he was tickling Capt. Bligh who has a perch in the cab.1965 January 24, “Bird costs cabbie $10”, in The Hartford Courant, daily edition, number CXXVIII, Hartford, Conn.: The Hartford Courant Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4A, columns 4–5:
1 more example
"That's Brooklyn," the hacker said, his tone accusing. "I don't go to Brooklyn, mister. Anyways, I'm due at the garage." Nathan Shapiro is usually gentle with cab drivers. He was not, this hot afternoon of a fruitless day—and a day which was supposed to have been an off-duty day—Shapiro felt no gentleness.1972, Richard Lockridge, chapter 11, in Write Murder Down, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →ISBN, page 129: