hijack meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

hijack

verb

UK /ˈhaɪ.dʒæk/

Etymology Possibly from a blend of highway + jacker (“one who holds up”) (1915).

To forcibly seize control of some vehicle in order to rob it or to reach a destination (especially an airplane, truck or a boat).

To seize control of some process or resource to achieve a purpose other than its originally intended one.

hijack the radio show
2013, Jon Raasch, JavaScript Programming: Pushing the Limits Once the polyfill kicks in, it hijacks the user's input cursor and places it into a different field, a problem that does not exist in the native implementation of autofocus.

Government, Politics To introduce an amendment deleting the contents of a bill and inserting entirely new provisions.

Derived terms: antihijack, bluejack, bodyjack, carjack, clickjack, cryptojack, culture-jack, gamejack, hijackable, hijackee, hijacker, hijackware, lojack, rehijack, seajack, skyjack, threadjack, unhijacked

noun

Etymology Possibly from a blend of highway + jacker (“one who holds up”) (1915).

An instance of hijacking; the illegal seizure of a vehicle; a hijacking.

An instance of a seizure and redirection of a process.

I opened my closet door and stared. Should I pack my good suit and black loafers? Uh-uh. Travel light. Think positive. Go there, get done whatever there was to do, and get back. I loved Lolly, but I couldn't let her stroke hijack my life. How many guys would do this much for their aunt?2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.3, at p.60-61

Government, Politics An amendment which deletes the contents of a bill and inserts entirely new provisions.

Card games, Poker Slang Preflop, the position two before the dealer.

Obsolete A highwayman, robber.

One lone "high-jack" held up 11 harvest hands in a freight car [...] last night, making a clean getaway with slightly over $180.1915 August 26, “Stick-Ups Get Good Hauls From Harvest Hands Near Yankton”, in Pierre Weekly Free Press, Pierre, SD, page 6:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.