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Webster 1913 Edition

Hackney

Hack′ney

(-ny̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Hackneys
(-nĭz)
.
[OE.
hakeney
,
hakenay
; cf. F.
haguenée
a pacing horse, an ambling nag, OF. also
haquenée
, Sp.
hacanea
, OSp.
facanea
, D.
hakkenei
, also OF.
haque
horse, Sp.
haca
, OSp.
faca
; perh. akin to E.
hack
to cut, and
nag
, and orig. meaning, a jolting horse. Cf.
Hack
a horse,
Nag
.]
1.
A horse for riding or driving; a nag; a pony.
Chaucer.
2.
A horse or pony kept for hire.
3.
A carriage kept for hire; a hack; a hackney coach.
4.
A hired drudge; a hireling; a prostitute.

Hack′ney

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Hackneyed
(-nĭd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Hackneying
.]
1.
To devote to common or frequent use, as a horse or carriage; to wear out in common service; to make trite or commonplace;
as, a
hackneyed
metaphor or quotation
.
Had I so lavish of my presence been,
So common-
hackneyed
in the eyes of men.
Shakespeare
2.
To carry in a hackney coach.
Cowper.

Webster 1828 Edition

Hackney

HACK'NEY

, n.
1.
A pad; a nag; a pony.
2.
A horse kept for hire; a horse much used.
3.
A coach or other carriage kept for hire, and often exposed in the streets of cities. The word is sometimes contracted to hack.
4.
Any thing much used or used in common; a hireling; a prostitute.

HACK'NEY

,
Adj.
Let out for hire; devoted to common use; as a hackney-coach.
1.
Prostitute; vicious for hire.
2.
Much used; common; trite; as a hackney author or remark.

HACK'NEY

,
Verb.
T.
To use much; to practice in one thing; to make
trite.
1.
To carry in a hackney-coach.

Definition 2024

Hackney

Hackney

See also: hackney

English

Proper noun

Hackney

  1. A London Borough within Greater London, where once upon a time many horses were pastured.
  2. A town in this borough.
  3. One of several breeds of compact English horses.
  4. An English habitational surname​.
  5. (in compounds) (A means of transportation that is) available for public hire.

Related terms

hackney

hackney

See also: Hackney

English

Noun

hackney ‎(plural hackneys)

  1. (archaic) An ordinary horse.
  2. A carriage for hire or a cab.
  3. A horse used to ride or drive.
  4. A breed of English horse.
  5. (archaic) A hired drudge; a hireling; a prostitute.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

hackney ‎(not comparable)

  1. Offered for hire; hence, much used; trite; mean.
    hackney coaches
    hackney authors
    • Roscommon
      his accumulative and hackney tongue

Translations

Verb

hackney ‎(third-person singular simple present hackneys, present participle hackneying, simple past and past participle hackneyed)

  1. To make uninteresting or trite by frequent use.
  2. To use as a hackney.

Translations

Etymology

The senses "a horse" and "(a means of transport) available for hire" derive from the fact that many horses were kept in the London borough of Hackney, and were available for hire. The place name is from Old English Hacan ieg "Hacan's Isle" (or "Hook's Island"), referring to dry land in a marsh.

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