a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts: As a painter, he was little more than a hack.
a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment: a political hack.
a writer who works on the staff of a publisher at a dull or routine task; someone who works as a literary drudge: He was one among the many hacks on Grub Street.
a horse kept for common hire or adapted for general work, esp. ordinary riding.
a saddle horse used for transportation, rather than for show, hunting, or the like.
an old or worn-out horse; jade.
a coach or carriage kept for hire; hackney.
a taxi.
Also,hackie.a cabdriver.
a prison guard.
—v.t.
to make a hack of; let out for hire.
to make trite or stale by frequent use; hackney.
—v.i.
to drive a taxi.
to ride or drive on the road at an ordinary pace, as distinguished from cross-country riding or racing.
to rent a horse, esp. by the hour.
—adj.
hired as a hack; of a hired sort: a hack writer; hack work.